Legal services opens Long Branch office

LONG BRANCH - Ocean Monmouth Legal Services (OMLS) Inc. is hosting an open house for its new city office on Broadway on Feb. 23 at 2 p.m.

OMLS is a nonprofit civil law firm that provides free legal services to low-income residents of Monmouth and Ocean counties.

The opening of the Long Branch office will expand services currently provided by OMLS's Freehold and Toms River offices to shore area residents in communities including Long Branch, Eatontown, Neptune, Shrewsbury, Asbury Park, Ocean Grove and Belmar.

The new office will enable vulnerable populations, such as the homeless, the impoverished elderly and disabled, working poor, victims of domestic violence and other at-risk segments of the community, to access OMLS' services, according to a press release.

The Long Branch office currently has two attorneys working on family law cases, including child support, custody, divorce and domestic violence cases.

The office also houses the agency's newly formed Legal Assistance to Seniors Project, and the paralegal staff additionally handles SSI and welfare cases.

Future plans include expanding the Long Branch attorney staff with a focus on housing, welfare and health-care law issues.