Rachel H Houseman

I reached out to Legal Aid in the most vulnerable moment of my life, as a mother trying to protect my children from serious ongoing neglect and emotional harm. Instead of receiving compassion or guidance, I was met with the most cold, dismissive, and outright cruel treatment I’ve ever experienced fro...m a legal professional. Attorney Rachel Houseman spoke to me with hostility from the very beginning of our call, based on the false assumption that I had already read a rejection email, which I had not. Her words were biting, her tone accusatory, and her complete lack of empathy was appalling. For an organization meant to serve vulnerable people, it felt more like being cross-examined than helped. Even more concerning, Ms. Houseman clearly lacked an understanding of the laws surrounding emergency custody and interstate jurisdiction. She dismissed well-established legal grounds without reviewing any evidence or hearing the full circumstances. Her legal advice was not only wrong, it was dangerously misleading. I am an abuse survivor with PTSD. The way I was spoken to wasn’t just unprofessional—it was traumatizing. Legal Aid failed to uphold even the most basic standard of decency in handling my case inquiry. If you’re a desperate parent looking for help, please be aware: you may be judged, not helped.