Legal Assistance

The Geilenkirchen Legal Assistance Office consists of a professional, well-trained staff, providing assistance at no cost to service members, family members, DoD civilians, and retirees with a valid ID card. This office provides a full range of free legal services to include notaries, power of attorneys, and wills and estate planning documents.  Further, legal assistance attorneys are available to provide legal advice on a broad range of legal issues including, but not limited to, family law, immigration, tax law, identity theft, and bankruptcy. Note: Legal assistance attorneys are advisors only; they cannot represent members in court or in other civil or criminal administrative hearings.

Legal assistance attorneys are advisors only. An Air Force legal assistance attorney cannot represent members in court or in an administrative hearing.

Legal Services Not Available

Legal assistance attorneys cannot offer legal advice on:

1. Criminal issues
2. Official Air Force matters (such as promotions, assignments, or administrative actions)
3. Matters involving your personal business (except Soldier's and Sailor's Civil Relief Act issues).

In these cases, or in other cases requiring specialized knowledge of particular areas of the law, the legal office may recommend consultation with a civilian attorney.

Claims Services

The legal office's claims section helps people whose property has been damaged or lost in the course of a government move or in government quarters. Claims briefings are given Mondays at 9 a.m. DD Form 1840 (pink forms) are accepted during the Claims briefing. After attending a claims briefing, people may file their claims (by appointment) Mondays through Wednesday.

Types of Services Available

The legal office can provide assistance with:

1. Power of Attorney
2. Notary Service
3. Referrals for other legal matters
4. Soldiers and Sailors' Civil Relief Act issues
5. Family law (paternity, marriage, separation, divorce, non-support)
6. Estate law (wills, advanced medical directives)
7. Economic matters (bankruptcy, credit problems, tax assistance)
8. Exceptional Family Member Program

Host Nation Assistance

Host Nation Assistance includes:

1. Contract/Landlord Tenant Disputes (Consult U.S. Housing Office First)
2. Consumer Relations 
3. Traffic Accidents /Traffic Tickets
4. VAT Tax Issues - GE/NL Income Tax
5. German Civil Process
6. German Domestic Relations
7. German Criminal Issues
8. Information on German Dog Laws and Pet Insurance