Overview of the Naval Station Norfolk Legal Office

All About Naval Station Norfolk

Naval Station Norfolk is the largest Naval complex in the World. It occupies over 3,400 acres and has over 11 miles of waterfront along the southern shore of Chesapeake Bay. Its ten piers can accommodate over 120 carriers and ships. Nearly 100,000 people work and live on the installation.
Naval Station Norfolk is a key location for the US Navy, known widely as a worldwide leader in naval operations. The base is home to many significant naval operations.
The base is home port to 12 aircraft carriers and over 65 other ships from the Navy and Military Sealift Command. It is also the Navy’s East Coast master jet station. The base also houses the US Atlantic Fleet and NATO’s Allied Command Transformation.
In addition to the many ships and personnel stationed at Naval Station in Norfolk, the base is also home to many tenant commands which provide support to the base and the military in general. These tenant commands include ,
Naval Station Norfolk is also home to many organizations including Navy and Marine Corps units, Navy Regional America and the Atlantic Fleet, and the Naval Justice School. The base and its tenant commands oversee more than 500 active duty military personnel, reserve personnel, and civilians.
There are more than 25 ships from allied strategic partners working alongside naval assets from the United States. These nations include Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and Turkey.
Naval Station Norfolk is supported by a host of community partners. These partners include government officials, businesses, and non-profit organizations in the Hampton Roads region. Working together, they provide support to service members including military families and retirees, and other members of the US Military community.

The Purpose of the Legal Office at Naval Station Norfolk

As part of the responsibility to ensure the sound legal operations of the military, each military installation has a legal service office. The primary function of the Naval Station Norfolk legal office is to provide free legal services to all active-duty personnel and their families. This office provides services to over 81,000 military and 23,000 spouses within the area they serve within Norfolk navy and marine corps commands. The office also represents detainees before the naval court martial convening authority, provides research and notary (or formal witnessing) services to various activities and commands on base, represents individuals in issues before the VA, among many other objectives. Both the Navy and Marine Corps are served by the Norfolk legal office, which is part of the command staff at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia. Legal assistance attorneys from this command can be found at the Norfolk Command, U.S. Fleet Forces Headquarters, the Fifth District Court of Appeals and the Navy Network Information Center on the base. The legal office at Naval Station Norfolk is currently run by a Captain, two civilian employees, and seven Navy JAGs (one captain, one commander and five lieutenants), who provide service to a combined 234 years of legal experience.

Services Offered by the Legal Office

Types of legal assistance provided include Family Law, Estate Planning and Deployment Legal Assistance
Family law matters, such as divorce and child support may be addressed through legal assistance. It is important for clients seeking assistance with custody, paternity, child support and other family law matters to bring all documentation and forms of ID or proof of residence for everyone involved for the interview.
Estate planning services, such as wills, powers of attorney and advance medical directives may also be offered:
• A will may not only dispose of your property upon your death, but may include provisions for the appointment of a guardian for your minor children, disposal of pet animals, and other personal matters;
• A military power of attorney may be used to grant financial authority to another person to assist you during a deployment or training exercise. These may be limited in scope to a specific time or situation, or may be general powers of attorney;
• Advanced medical directives include a living will to convey end of life wishes and a durable power of attorney for health care to appoint a person to act on your behalf regarding health care decisions if you become incapacitated;
Deployment-related legal assistance includes:
• Service members on deployment are entitled to free assistance with obtaining a Consumer Credit Counseling representative and completing a Consumer Coupon Book;
• Military members can receive advice and assistance with the new Servicemembers Civil Relief Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA). The SCRA establishes the rights Service members have while in military service. FMLA is intended to help Service members retain their jobs to facilitate their return to civilian employment when they leave military service.

How to Access Legal Services

Naval Station Norfolk serves Navy and Marine Corps service members and dependents, retired, reservists on active duty, and former spouses of military personnel with their legal matters. The office currently only accepts military clients or those with Department of Defense Identification Cards due to limited space and personnel, and appointments are required for all services. Appointments can be made in person at the office or by calling 757-444-1401 x 72300/72600. The NLSO-NORFALK has a centralized intake phone number that is operational each work day from 0730-1300 and from 1400-1630 , and this phone number should be used before, during, and after your appointment to ensure that you have access to services. Appointments for all services—wills, powers of attorney, notaries, and legal assistance—may only be scheduled between 0730-1200 on Fridays, so that other services may be provided during the week. After-hours legal services inquiries can be made to the Navy Duty Officer at 444-4407, who can contact the Staff Judge Advocate on duty.

Legal Assistance for Military Members and Their Families

Military service members face a host of unique legal challenges that can impact their professional and personal lives. The complexities involved with military law often leave them in dire need of qualified legal representation. Whether it’s dealing with issues related to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), such as being charged with Article 15, NJP or a court martial, the many facets of military law make it difficult for service members to navigate without the guidance of an experienced attorney.
Criminal charges aren’t limited to those directly related to military activity, though. Service members also face the same civil obligations that every other American does, from family law considerations like child custody, to DUI charges. Even matters like landlord-tenant and general contractual obligations can end up with military personnel in need of legal assistance.
Fortunately, the legal office at Naval Station Norfolk is always available to address legal matters for active duty personnel and their families. Their services range from basic legal advice and brief service provision to comprehensive legal representation for a range of commonly encountered issues. By providing this support to service members and their families, the legal office at Norfolk is able to alleviate the stress often encountered by service personnel dealing with increasingly complicated legal matters.

Recent News and Changes

Recently however, the Staff Judge Advocate (SJA) for Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek/ Naval Amphibious Base (JEBLC/ NAB) reported that the Legal Assistance Office is in the process of creating opportunities for telephonic consults for services members and their family members. How it will work is not quite out yet but Mr . Holliday envisions a capability where legal assistance officers with the basic capability to support a client, who calls in during working hours, would be able to remain at their duty stations, and use their work phones to assist clients through telephonic consultations, giving the clients a valuable sense of responsive support while still performing their work. He hopes to have this new program up and running by the end of March.