Vermont Bar Foundation IOLTA HONOR ROLL Financial Institutions Pay Generous Interest Rates on IOLTA Accounts Bringing Access to Justice to the Green Mountain State.
Did you know that immigration procedures allow a woman who has been subjected to extreme cruelty or battery by her U.S. citizen husband (or in some cases by her lawful permanent resident husband) to receive lawful permanent resident status as long as her marriage was entered into in good faith? The South Royalton Legal Clinic secured permanent U.S. resident status for a South American woman and her child. Then a Vermont lawyer handled her divorce pro bono. Now “Maria” and her child live productive lives.
Maria (as told by the South Royalton Legal Clinic)
Maria (pseudonym) is a very bright, nice, young South American woman who came to the U.S. to work. She fell in love with Vermont and with a handsome young American. The couple was married in Vermont before family and friends from both countries. Maria successfully obtained conditional lawful permanent resident status in the U.S. because of her marriage to a U.S. citizen.
Initially everything was fine. Maria and her husband settled down in an apartment and enjoyed a honeymoon period. Maria worked to support the couple while her husband told her he was taking college courses. Instead of attending his college classes, however, her husband spent time with his friends and drank. He treated Maria poorly and hit her. Finally, Maria left her abusive husband.
Maria did not know where to turn until a friend of hers took her to the local domestic violence agency and who put her in touch with the South Royalton Legal Clinic’s Vermont Immigration Assistance Program. Maria’s first hurdle was to acquire permanent resident status despite the fact that she was separated from her U.S. citizen husband. Obtaining this status was made especially difficult due to the fact that her husband and his family did everything in their power to try to convince immigration officials to deport Maria, claiming that she married only for lawful immigration “green card” status.
Fortunately, there are immigration procedures that allow women who have been subjected to battery or extreme cruelty by their U.S. citizen husbands (or in some cases by lawful permanent resident husbands) to receive lawful permanent resident status as long as the marriage was entered into in good faith. Maria provided ample documentation to support both her good faith marriage and the abuse she suffered. Her lawful permanent resident status was granted and she will soon be able to apply for US citizenship. Maria was also able to find a Vermont lawyer who handled her divorce pro bono.
“The Vermont Bar Foundation makes grants every year to the South Royalton Legal Clinic, helping to support their important work. You can support Vermont Bar Foundation IOLTA HONOR ROLL institutions who pay generous interest rates on their IOLTA accounts, making VBF grants possible,” said VBF board member Sophie Zdatny. “Please write to your IOLTA HONOR ROLL institution to thank them for the generous interest they pay on those accounts. If your financial institution is not on the VBF IOLTA HONOR ROLL, please ask them to join by increasing the interest they pay on those accounts.”
“Today, 87% of all IOLTA monies are on deposit in Vermont Bar Foundation IOLTA HONOR ROLL accounts. Help us to maintain our success by writing or calling your IOLTA HONOR ROLL institutions today,” urges VBF President Joseph Cahill.
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