Legal Assistance

LEGAL

The Fort Jackson Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, including Client Services (Legal Assistance, Special Victims’ Counsel, and Claims), is located at 2600 Liberty Division Road, at the corner of Washington and Liberty Division Roads. The Legal Assistance Office can be reached at 803-751-4287 or via email at usarmy.jackson.army-tng-ctr.mbx.legal-assistance@army.mil.The Special Victims’ Counsel can be reached via email at FortJacksonSVCDistro@army.mil. The Claims Office can be reached at 803-751-6831 or via email at usarmy.jackson.ssi.mbx.ft-jackson-claims@army.mil.

LEGAL ASSISTANCE

The Legal Assistance Office is open Monday through Wednesday from 9 to 11:15 a.m., and 12:30 to 4 p.m.; Thursday from 12:30 to 4 p.m.; and Friday from 9 to 11:15 a.m., and 12:30 to 3 p.m. All attorney consultations require an appointment. To schedule an appointment, please call 803-751-4287 or email the Legal Assistance Mailbox at usarmy.jackson.army-tng-ctr.mbx.legal-asstance@army.mil. If you reach our voicemail when calling the front desk, please leave a detailed message with a callback number. Your call will be returned with in 48 hours.

Notary and Power of Attorney services are offered during normal business hours but may require an appointment. Documents recorded in any court require an appointment; this includes documents related to mortgages, deeds, and home purchase/sale closings. Same-day appointments for these documents are at the discretion of available personnel. Additionally, some powers of attorney, such as a Durable Power of Attorney, require an appointment with an attorney. Documents that are not required in a court may be notarized on a walk-in basis. 

Due to manpower shortages, appointments for attorney consultations are only available to active-duty Servicemembers and their eligible Family members; however, retirees can utilize walk-in services to notarize documents or obtain basic powers of attorney. Basic powers of attorney do not include the preparation of Durable Powers of Attorney, Healthcare Powers of Attorney, or Living Wills, as these documents generally require an attorney consultation.

Attorney consultations are available for the following: Estate Planning (e.g., Wills, Durable Powers of Attorney, Healthcare Powers of Attorney, and Living Wills), Military Administrative matters (e.g., OER/NCOER appeals, QMP, GOMOR rebuttals, and FLIPLs rebuttals), Landlord-Tenant issues; Family Law (e.g., child support, divorce counseling, child custody), Consumer Law; and SCRA. Legal Assistance Attorneys cannot provide representation for civil or criminal matters (e.g., divorce disputes, child custody hearings, or criminal charges).

SPECIAL VICTIMS’ COUNSEL

The Special Victims’ Counsel  Program was developed to strengthen the support provided to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence throughout the criminal justice process. If you or your dependent is a victim of sexual assault or domestic violence (whether the assault has been reported or not), you can call the Legal Assistance Office at 803-751-4287, or email FortJacksonSVCDistro@army.mil to schedule an appointment with the SVC. Your inquiry will remain confidential.

CLAIMS

The Claims Office investigates and processes tort claims filed against the government. For assistance with a claim, please contact the Claims Paralegal at 803-751-6831 or via email at usarmy.jackson.ssi.mbx.ft-jawckson-claim@army.mil.

Due to federal workforce changes, all Medical Affirmative Claims are processed by the U.S. Army Claims Service Office in Fort Meade, MD. The office can be reached at:

• US Army Claims Service
• 4411 Lewellyn Avenue
• Fort Meade, MD 20755

Email: usarmy.meade.hqda-otjag.mbx.usarcs-affirmative-claims@army.mil

All military household goods claims are processed by the Center of Personnel Claims Support, located at Fort Knox, Kentucky. The CPCS may be reached by phone at 502-626-3000/502-624-6913, email at usarmy.knox.hqda-otjag.mbx.dpcs@mail.mil, or through their website HTTPS://WWW.JAGCNET.ARMY.MIL/APPS/PCLAIMS/PCLAIMSPUBLIC.NSF/XPPERSONNEL_CLAIM.XSP. Military household goods claims include household goods, POV shipment damage, on-post POV theft or vandalism, on-post quarters damage or theft, and unusual occurrences such as fire, flood, and hurricanes.