"Stress Off Our Shoulders": A Qualitative Pilot Study of a Neonatal Medical-Legal Partnership

Susanne Klawetter; Lauren Mutrie; Eline Leemans Lenne; Alinda Reimer; Browning Haynes; Yesenia Morales; Ladawna Gievers

doi:10.1017/jme.2026.10250

"Stress Off Our Shoulders": A Qualitative Pilot Study of a Neonatal Medical-Legal Partnership

Susanne Klawetter
, Lauren Mutrie
, Eline Leemans Lenne
, Alinda Reimer
, Browning Haynes
, Yesenia Morales
, Ladawna Gievers

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus School of Medicine
https://ror.org/009avj582Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine
University of Amsterdam
https://ror.org/05mxhda18University Hospital Cologne

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Medical-Legal Partnerships (MLPs) integrate attorneys into health care settings to provide free legal care for low-income families. Our objective was to explore MLP client experiences of a neonatal MLP integrated into a neonatal intensive care unit and fetal care program.

STUDY DESIGN: We used a qualitative descriptive inquiry methodological approach to conduct interviews with clients of the neonatal MLP clients. Interviews were conducted via telephone, recorded, and transcribed. We conducted a reflexive thematic analysis of the data.

RESULTS: Sixteen neonatal MLP clients completed qualitative interviews. We found that MLPs may facilitate supportive, holistic, and interdisciplinary care that mitigates parental distress and addresses structural barriers to family stability. The program would be improved with more transparency, capacity, and visibility.

CONCLUSION: Medical-Legal Partnerships offer an innovative strategy to address social determinants with legal implications that impact the health and well-being of neonatal intensive care unit and fetal care therapy patients and families.

Original language	English
Number of pages	7
Journal	Medicolegal news
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/jme.2026.10250
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 24 Mar 2026
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), 2026.

Funding

This work is supported by the Cambia Health Foundation. This work is also supported in part by the National Institute of Mental Health (#K08MH127519), National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (#TL1TR00237), German Academic Exchange Service, and Graduate School of the Faculty of Human Sciences at the University of Cologne, Germany. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Cambia Health Foundation, National Institutes of Health, German Academic Exchange Service, or University of Cologne, Germany. The funders played no role in the writing of this manuscript or in the decision to submit the article for publication. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH. None of the data have been previously published.

Funders
Universität zu Köln
Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst
National Institute of Mental Health
Cambia Health Foundation
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
Graduate School of the Faculty of Human Sciences

Keywords

Medical-Legal Partnership
health-harming legal needs
lawyers
neonatal intensive care unit
social determinants of health

Access to Document

10.1017/jme.2026.10250

Cite this

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title = "{"}Stress Off Our Shoulders{"}: A Qualitative Pilot Study of a Neonatal Medical-Legal Partnership",

abstract = "OBJECTIVE: Medical-Legal Partnerships (MLPs) integrate attorneys into health care settings to provide free legal care for low-income families. Our objective was to explore MLP client experiences of a neonatal MLP integrated into a neonatal intensive care unit and fetal care program.STUDY DESIGN: We used a qualitative descriptive inquiry methodological approach to conduct interviews with clients of the neonatal MLP clients. Interviews were conducted via telephone, recorded, and transcribed. We conducted a reflexive thematic analysis of the data.RESULTS: Sixteen neonatal MLP clients completed qualitative interviews. We found that MLPs may facilitate supportive, holistic, and interdisciplinary care that mitigates parental distress and addresses structural barriers to family stability. The program would be improved with more transparency, capacity, and visibility.CONCLUSION: Medical-Legal Partnerships offer an innovative strategy to address social determinants with legal implications that impact the health and well-being of neonatal intensive care unit and fetal care therapy patients and families.",

keywords = "Medical-Legal Partnership, health-harming legal needs, lawyers, neonatal intensive care unit, social determinants of health",

author = "Susanne Klawetter and Lauren Mutrie and \{Leemans Lenne\}, Eline and Alinda Reimer and Browning Haynes and Yesenia Morales and Ladawna Gievers",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), 2026.",

year = "2026",

month = mar,

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doi = "10.1017/jme.2026.10250",

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AU - Klawetter, Susanne

AU - Mutrie, Lauren

AU - Leemans Lenne, Eline

AU - Reimer, Alinda

AU - Haynes, Browning

AU - Morales, Yesenia

AU - Gievers, Ladawna

PY - 2026/3/24

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N2 - OBJECTIVE: Medical-Legal Partnerships (MLPs) integrate attorneys into health care settings to provide free legal care for low-income families. Our objective was to explore MLP client experiences of a neonatal MLP integrated into a neonatal intensive care unit and fetal care program.STUDY DESIGN: We used a qualitative descriptive inquiry methodological approach to conduct interviews with clients of the neonatal MLP clients. Interviews were conducted via telephone, recorded, and transcribed. We conducted a reflexive thematic analysis of the data.RESULTS: Sixteen neonatal MLP clients completed qualitative interviews. We found that MLPs may facilitate supportive, holistic, and interdisciplinary care that mitigates parental distress and addresses structural barriers to family stability. The program would be improved with more transparency, capacity, and visibility.CONCLUSION: Medical-Legal Partnerships offer an innovative strategy to address social determinants with legal implications that impact the health and well-being of neonatal intensive care unit and fetal care therapy patients and families.

AB - OBJECTIVE: Medical-Legal Partnerships (MLPs) integrate attorneys into health care settings to provide free legal care for low-income families. Our objective was to explore MLP client experiences of a neonatal MLP integrated into a neonatal intensive care unit and fetal care program.STUDY DESIGN: We used a qualitative descriptive inquiry methodological approach to conduct interviews with clients of the neonatal MLP clients. Interviews were conducted via telephone, recorded, and transcribed. We conducted a reflexive thematic analysis of the data.RESULTS: Sixteen neonatal MLP clients completed qualitative interviews. We found that MLPs may facilitate supportive, holistic, and interdisciplinary care that mitigates parental distress and addresses structural barriers to family stability. The program would be improved with more transparency, capacity, and visibility.CONCLUSION: Medical-Legal Partnerships offer an innovative strategy to address social determinants with legal implications that impact the health and well-being of neonatal intensive care unit and fetal care therapy patients and families.

KW - Medical-Legal Partnership

KW - health-harming legal needs

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KW - neonatal intensive care unit

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ER -

"Stress Off Our Shoulders": A Qualitative Pilot Study of a Neonatal Medical-Legal Partnership

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

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