How to Receive Services from TALA:  In order to receive services from TALA,  you must be

1.) a nonprofit organization (arts or nonarts) or

2.) an individual artist making less than $37,500

If you are either of these, to receive services you must

1.) become a member of TALA and

2.) fill out a Request for Assistance Form (Individual or Organization) or, if you are seeking non-profit incorporation, click here

Lawyer Referral:   TALA matches low-income artists and non-profit organizations with volunteer attorneys to help with arts-related legal matters.  Some cases are handled by TALA's in-house council.

Accountant Referral:   TALA matches low-income artists and non-profit groups with volunteer accountants to help with arts-related financial matters.

Mediation Services:   TALA's Arts Resolution Program is part of a national collaborative effort, which provides mediators to help resolve disputes in a non-adversarial manner. TALA also offers specialized training in the mediation of arts-related disputes for our volunteer attorneys, accountants, and artists. Mediation FAQ's

Estate Planning for Artists:   TALA volunteer accountants and attorneys will work with artists in providing for their individual estate-planning needs.  Such planning also includes assistance regarding the future care and preservation of artists' creative works.

All individuals & organizations requesting assistance must join TALA as a member.

Mediation FAQ's

What Is Mediation?   Mediation is a method of resolving disputes without resorting to litigation. An independent third party, a mediator, hears both sides of the controversy and then helps disputants create their own solution. The mediator does not decide what the solution should be, you do!

How does Mediation occur?   Texas Arts Resolution Services provides one or two impartial mediators who meet with the parties in a neutral place and at a time which is convenient for all. The mediators make no legal decisions. Instead, they facilitate the communication process by helping the parties to open a dialogue and generate options. Your mediators will help you tailor an agreement to meet your specific needs. Such tailor-made agreements are ideal for the resolution of most disputes and are unavailable through the courts.

How will Mediation help me?   Mediation is in your best interest when you live and work in a tight-knit arts community. Mediation offers expeditious resolutions to disputes and often enables the parties involved to salvage a damaged relationship.

Is there Mediation available for Contract Negotiations?   You do not have to wait until you have a problem to call a mediator. Although parties often consult attorneys to draft formal agreements, Arts Resolution Services can provide a mediator to facilitate the negotiation process. The presence of a trained neutral party at the beginning of the process can help the parties identify major contract issues and address underlying issues. The mediator can also assist the parties with the incorporation of a mediation clause in their contract.

Texas Arts Resolution Services suggests incorporating the following mediation clause into new contracts as a sign that the contracting parties have entered into their agreement in good faith: "All disputes arising out of this agreement shall be submitted to mediation in accordance with the rules of Arts Resolution Services, a program of Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts."