Private lawyers, legal aid clinics and advocacy groups with lawyers often handle cases that fall within their particular area of interest. For example, you might be able to get free help from a lawyer for a wage discrimination lawsuit against an employer if it has the potential to become a larger class action lawsuit. If you don`t qualify for free or low-cost legal aid, find out how to work with a private lawyer. Armed Forces Legal Assistance – Find nearby military facilities with legal aid offices. If you are a victim of domestic violence or fear for your safety, you may be eligible for free legal aid from agencies that can help you gather evidence of abuse, including seeking injunctions. For immediate help wherever you are, contact the National Domestic Violence Helpline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). National Disability Rights Network – Find legal advice by state for people with disabilities. Immigration Legal Services – Search your state for free legal service providers. for persons in immigration procedures.
Pension Entitlement Centre – Get free legal help if you have problems with your pension, profit-sharing or retirement savings. Utilities. These include issues of welfare, food stamps, medical assistance, supplementary income, social security and unemployment benefits. If you have been denied benefits, asked to repay benefits, or feel you are not getting the benefits you deserve, a legal aid office may be able to help. Your eligibility for free legal aid depends on a number of factors, such as your income, health, safety, location, and whether your problem is civil or criminal. In some cases, you may be eligible for free legal aid if you can prove to a judge that you are eligible for “poor” representation. In the case of indigent representation, you may have to reimburse the court for part of the cost of the legal services provided to you. The specific qualifications of lawyers provided by the courts vary considerably from state to state and sometimes between different courts in the state.
There are several HIV/AIDS legal counselling programs that provide free legal assistance to low-income clients infected with HIV or AIDS in areas such as estate planning, employment or housing discrimination, insurance difficulties, family law issues and other legal issues. If you are not eligible to receive free legal services based on any of the above criteria, you may want to speak to a lawyer in your area to discuss other fee arrangements. Some legal aid organizations and clinics offer free legal assistance to individuals and non-profit or not-for-profit organizations seeking to improve the economic, cultural, social or environmental well-being of disadvantaged or underserved communities. Community problems can include neighbourhood deterioration, inadequate housing and homelessness, unemployment, substance abuse, racial discord and crime. Check with your state`s individual Community law programmes for specific admission and admission requirements. If you currently receive financial assistance through other public assistance programs such as SSI/SSP, Food Stamps Program, County Relief, Older Americans Act, and Developmentally Disabled Assistance Act, you may be eligible for additional free legal services in your state. There are specialized legal aid organizations and programs for communities such as veterans, survivors of sexual assault, seniors and people with disabilities. To be eligible for these services, you must meet these requirements.
In addition, legal aid cannot accept so-called “fee-generating” cases. In a fee-generating case, a lawyer`s fees are paid out of the money awarded to the winning party. If you ask for legal help with your problem, you will be told whether it is a paid case or not. LawHelp.org – Find free legal aid programs in your community. Here you will find information about your legal rights by topic, e.g. housing, divorce, family allowances and debt collection. Like private lawyers, legal aid lawyers and paralegals work to find the best possible solution to the case for their client. And just like communications between private lawyers and their clients, communications between legal aid clients and their lawyers or paralegals are confidential. Legal Services Corporation (LSC) – Find legal help for low-income individuals and families. Non-criminal legal services for individuals who cannot afford a private lawyer are provided by SC Legal Services. Some of the types of legal services that may be available include: evictions, bankruptcies, health issues, education, mortgage foreclosures, Social Security disability, employment issues, some limited divorce and custody issues, food stamps, and social issues. Legal Services programs do not deal with criminal matters; If you have questions about criminal law, see Public Defence Services.
Legal Assistance for Veterans – Find free legal clinics and other resources from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Created by FindLaw`s team of writers and legal writers| Last updated: 20 June 2016 Legal aid services do not deal with criminal cases. The court appoints a lawyer to handle criminal proceedings if the client cannot afford legal assistance. This section will help you understand the different types of cases that legal aid offices typically handle and the roles of paralegals and legal aid lawyers. These are the kinds of cases that legal aid agencies can often handle. However, the type of cases accepted by each legal aid unit may vary. The community, clients and legal aid staff worked together to identify the highest priority issues for low-income people in their area. If you have a civil law problem but can`t afford to hire a private lawyer, you can still access the legal system through your local legal advice and legal aid organization, which provides free or low-cost legal services to low-income people. Information on many of these local services can be found online at the websites listed below. If the other party to your dispute lives with you, do not count their income as part of the household income and do not count it as part of the household. Individual lawyers (also called lawyers) are experts in various areas of law.
Some lawyers specialize in a particular area of law, such as commercial, civil, criminal or juvenile law. You need to determine what type of lawyer is right for your legal situation. Once you`ve found a lawyer, ask them about their experience, areas of expertise, and questions such as “How would you handle my case?” and “What do you charge for your services/what is your fee structure?” Even if you are eligible for legal aid, this does not mean that the organisation will automatically take over your case. Legal aid organizations are not-for-profit businesses that provide free legal aid to low-income clients with non-criminal problems, including cases in some of the following areas: This information has been created to give you general information about the law. It is not legal advice on a particular issue. If you have any questions about the law, you should consult a lawyer. If you don`t know a lawyer, you can call the South Carolina Bar Lawyer Referral Service weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The number is 799-7100 in Richland or Lexington counties and 1-800-868-2284 in other parts of the state. If you need help with your legal problem and think you qualify for legal aid, call your nearest office to find out if you qualify.
