Air Force launches new legal assistance website Published June 7, 2010 By 1st Lt. James P. Ferrell 55th Wing Legal Office OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- The next time you need a will, power of attorney, have a legal question or think you need to visit the Judge Advocate General's office, visit the Air Force's legal assistance website first. The Air Force JAG Corps recently unveiled a new legal assistance website, designed for active- duty and reserve component members, retirees and family members. The website is expected to increase efficiency and track client satisfaction with the Air Force legal assistance program. The site's features include: · Legal topics: Short papers on common legal assistance topics such as wills and family law issues. It also contains links to other helpful sites. · Legal worksheets: Access to online questionnaires for wills, living wills and powers of attorney. After completing the online worksheet, the website provides each client a unique ticket number. Data entered by clients is secure and may be accessed only after clients visit their local legal office and provide their ticket numbers to legal office personnel. · Online survey: Following a visit to the legal office here, clients are encouraged to provide feedback concerning the professionalism and helpfulness of our legal professionals. Your feedback is how we improve our service. Many clients have visited a legal office to obtain a will or other legal document then realize after arriving that they need to gather more information or documents from home. Sometimes a client realizes he or she needs to speak with his or her spouse about an issue. Completing an online worksheet helps to minimize multiple visits to the legal office. By filling out an online worksheet, clients will able to consider critical issues prior to visiting a legal office. After receiving a ticket number, clients may then go to the legal office. An attorney or paralegal will simply access a client's data using the ticket number. This process reduces the amount of information the client needs to bring with him or her and allows the legal office to streamline the process to some degree. The bottom line is, the more you know going in; the better both you and your attorney can accomplish what you need. While the website increases convenience for clients, everyone should note the following: · Information on the site is for educational and informational purposes only. The website can't replace a consultation with your local JAG officer and Airmen should never rely solely on the website when making decisions. · Clients won't have the ability to print legal documents from the site. Clients will need to visit the legal office and provide their ticket numbers to obtain legal documents. · The website is designed for client convenience, but no one is required to use the site prior to visiting the legal office. We look forward to continuing to serve Team Offutt's legal needs. Take a look at the website next time a legal need arises, and feel free to visit the Offutt Legal Office located inside Offutt's courthouse during our walk-in legal assistance hours of 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. on Mondays, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. on Wednesdays and 9 - 10 a.m. on Fridays.