Limited English Proficiency is not a barrier to getting legal help

Navigating the legal system – or life situations – is challenging as it is. Imagine the difficulty of someone with Limited English Proficiency (LEP).

This is when an interpreter and free civil legal help becomes invaluable.

Huan, 80, knows this firsthand. His native language is Cantonese, and he knows very little English. Because of this, and his age, his doctor encouraged getting an Advance Health Care Directive with his daughter’s help. She has been serving as Huan’s interpreter during medical visits.

 “He’s very healthy but they are worried that as he ages, he’ll need more help,” said Legal Aid Paralegal Rachael Reynon, Huan’s primary advocate. 

Huan also has an insurance plan, which might affect his ability to receive Medicaid. In preparing for his future, he wanted to appoint his daughter as Agent on a Power of Attorney to help in managing his financial affairs, too.

“The insurance provider said that if he wanted his daughter to assist him in managing his account in English, they would need a Power of Attorney to move forward,” Rachael said. “We are seeing more and more clients choosing this option to overcome language barriers.”

“I want some legal help due to my old age and language barrier, but legal help is normally very expensive,” said Huan who always relied on his daughter to manage his affairs. “Luckily, Legal Aid was able to help me at no charge.”

Additionally, it was difficult for Huan to travel to our Downtown Honolulu office. Through the help of our grants, we were able to travel to his residence to execute his documents.

“It is important to provide interpretation service to those who need it,” said Rachael. “We would not be able to provide effective legal assistance without the help of interpreters. Huan is fortunate to trust his family member to serve as his interpreter.”

For other clients, Legal Aid offers interpretation services (in-house and outsourced) in Chuukese, Marshallese, Tagalog, Ilocano, Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish, and many more.

“Legal Aid is an organization that you can trust,” said Huan. “They are willing to help. They give you advice and assist you with what you need. They make it very convenient for their client.”

“These documents can be simple and cost-effective, but they are very powerful and should be handled with careful consideration,” said Rachael. “Your agent should respect your wishes and have your best interest in mind. Thankfully, in this case, Huan trusts his family to support him. I’m glad that our clients can come to Legal Aid and receive services in a language they understand.”