Are you facing any legal issue? If you require legal representation, but you do not have to afford capability, then you have to look for other options. There are some services available for you when you are not in a position to afford legal representation. Keep in mind that these services differ from city to city and also from state to state. Even if your friends are availing of the services be prepared to have an entirely different experience from them. This difference will arise because of the nature of the work and specific location.
Service offerings
Some lawyers offer pro bono services. These kinds of services are available free of cost. They can cover a wide variety of matters ranging from bankruptcy, family law and disability and workplace issues.
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Legal clinics
These clinics are generally arranged by law schools. The clinics are supervised by the faculty members, and the students receive law school credit in place of their work done in the real world. In these clinics, students perform various tasks just like an attorney. They conduct research, draft briefs and other documents and interview the clients whenever necessary. The clinics give an opportunity to the third year students, and in some states, even second-year students are given a chance to appear in courts. In general, these clinics are pro bono. The students are immensely benefitted because they get practical exposure before taking a plunge in the job market. They cover various aspects of the law – community, family, human rights, immigration, environmental and tax issues.
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Law firms
Just as the number of the law firm has shown an upward trend, there has been an increase in the number of people seeking legal assistance. Some firms provide legal support free of cost. A vast majority of these firms get their funding from private donations, various grants, and services corporations. The legal clinics are aware of these firms. If you contact any such clinic, they will recommend you for the specialized firms from whom you can get relevant assistance in your field.
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Contact attorneys who work pro bono
Some of the attorneys may give you substantial discounts. You may even come across an attorney who is ready to work pro bono. Some attorneys are willing to accept cases on a contingency fee basis. They are ready to represent you even if you are not in a position to pay their hourly rates. Generally, these lawyers are quite selective about the cases they accept.
Check out their competency
Some people represent themselves in court. However, this is an extremely risky affair because they do not have the adequate legal services expertise to tackle the issue in court. If you want to represent yourself in court, then you need to be prepared and study for several hours before making an appearance in court. Most people do not have so much time at their disposal. So it is a wise idea to have an attorney work on your behalf. Make sure that the quality of work is not compromised and they have adequate knowledge to deal with your specific case.
