LEGAL ISSUES: YOUR RIGHT TO HOMESCHOOL

By Bing Howard

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."  A little precaution before a crisis occurs is preferable to a lot of fixing up afterward. Protect your right to homeschool with a low cost legal plan!

We have been homeschooling for nine (9) years and fortunately have not had to defend our rights to homeschool our children in court or to government agencies who sometimes overstep their authority. We recognized from our very first day of homeschooling that the protection of our legal rights was critically important and have been members of the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA).  Although it is prudent to join HSLDA to ensure we have legal assistance should things arise regarding our homeschooling rights, our HSLDA membership is also a way to support other homeschooling families who find themselves embroiled in legal problems.

Our membership with HSLDA helps further the cause of the homeschooling movement in America and around the world. Because our children are enrolled in Christian Liberty Academy School System (CLASS), we are able to avail of the group discount. We pay only $8.00/month which is automatically deducted from our bank account. Taken from HSLDA's website is the following information:

We protect your right to homeschool

Since 1983, Home School Legal Defense Association's primary goal has remained the same - to bring together a large number of homeschooling families so that each can have a low-cost method of obtaining quality legal defense. HSLDA gives families the freedom to homeschool without having to face legal threats alone. Through many families sticking together, we have been able to keep the cost of a year's membership close to the rate that you would have to pay for an hour of an attorney's time almost anywhere else.After a family joins HSLDA, there are no further charges of any kind for defending them in court. HSLDA pays in full all attorney fees, expert witness costs, travel expenses, and all other court costs permissible by state law for us to pay.

The vast majority of contacts member families face are successfully resolved through our early intervention without any court action. Many times HSLDA attorneys call or write letters on behalf of members contacted by local officials. For those who wind up in court, HSLDA provides full representation at every stage of legal proceedings.

We defend your future liberty

As a member, you not only receive numerous tangible benefits, but you also receive the intangible and invaluable blessing of defending liberty for future generations. Your membership not only works to further your right to homeschool now, but through you, countless other families will enjoy these same liberties as they seek to homeschool their own children in future generations.

In addition to professional legal representation for your homeschooling, HSLDA also provides other valuable benefits to their members.

HSLDA's website provides up to the minute news on homeschooling legal issues and active cases in your state.

Enrollment: To enroll, go to their website www.hslda.org. HSLDA is a nonprofit advocacy organization.

The Cost: The cost is $115/year or less if you qualify for group discount. A special $20 discount is also available to full-time ministers and missionaries, as well as active and retired military personnel.

ATTENTION! For a limited time, HSLDA is offering a free trial membership. Anyone who joins through the special link below will be granted a free trial membership that’s good until August 15, 2006. (Please note that this trial offer is not available to current members.)

Get your special HSLDA Trial Membership here:
https://app.hslda.org/default.asp?TC=11hG7n

Recommended Reading: Home Schooling, The Right Choice by Christopher Klicka

Other Legal Related Resources:

• American Center For Law And Justice - The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) specializes in constitutional law and is based in Washington, D.C. Through our work in the courts and the legislative arena, the ACLJ is dedicated to protecting your religious and constitutional freedoms.  In addition to providing its legal services at no cost to our clients, the ACLJ focuses on the issues that matter most to you – national security, protecting America's families, and protecting human life.

• Association Of HomeSchool Attorneys - AHSA is an informal network of attorneys and legal experts in the United States supporting homeschooling and homeschoolers by providing legal information about homeschooling issues, empowering homeschoolers to have the legal tools they need to meet homeschooling challenges, and providing a network of attorneys for legal representation. 

• National Home Education Legal Defense (NHELD) - was founded by Attorney Deborah G. Stevenson as a non-sectarian legal support organization. NHELD offers its members legal assistance by an attorney licensed to practice in your state working with NHELD licensed attorneys. Members are also kept apprised of pending legislative action, scholarship programs, and other programs beneficial to homeschoolers.

• Pacific Justice Institute - is a non-profit legal defense organization specializing in the defense of religious freedom, parental rights, and other civil liberties. PJI provides free representation to parents who are unlawfully denied the right to homeschool their children. PJI also provides legal counsel to those parents wishing to homeschool, but do not know their legal options or obligations.

• The Rutherford Institute - Founded in 1982 by constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead, The Rutherford Institute is a civil liberties organization that provides free legal services to people whose constitutional and human rights have been threatened or violated.

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 For information on other types of low-cost legal plans for your family, visit iHelpFamilies.com.

 Related Pages: State Laws and Regulations and Letter Of Intent