Free Divorce Legal Advice

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Some people seeking divorce face the following condition.

• They are desperately in need of legal assistance for the divorce proceedings
• They lack financial resources or money

Guidelines for Free Divorce Legal Advice

Usually, if a person fulfills one of the following conditions, he/she is eligible for free legal advice.

• Is a military member
• Is a victim of domestic violence
• Is disabled
• Is elderly (i.e. of age 60 and above)
• Has low income - in a majority of cases, the income must be lesser than 125 percent of Federal poverty level. In some cases, slightly higher income level might be accepted
• There are any special circumstances (as decided by each agency). Some of these are as follows
  • The children are being abused
  • The person is a breast cancer victim

Pro Bono

• 'Pro Bono Publico' means 'for public good'
• Attorneys manage the case without levying any charge
• This free legal advice is offered to clients who cannot afford them
• The Pro Bono attorneys do not employ stringent eligibility criteria
• The ABA (American Bar Association) has recommended that attorneys in the country should donate 50 hours of pro bono work in one year
• The ABA has found out that 40 percent of moderate and low income households usually have a minimum of one legal problem in one year
• The directory of lawyers comprises of the names of those who offer pro bono assistance

• This program is endorsed privately or by the Government
• The clients of the staff lawyers are individuals with no income, low income and those who fulfill the guidelines specific to the agency
• A majority of attorneys who work for legal aid have considerable experience in cases of domestic violence, child custody and divorce
• The present system is overloaded with legal aid requests. So, there is considerable waiting time for an attorney
• Let us assume the following condition
  • A client is in need of representation in a child custody case
  • There are justifying conditions (for example, the other party may carry the children to a different destination) Such a case can be accelerated by the legal aid staff

Some lawyers offer a free initial consultation on divorce issues. This is an opportunity for the client to meet the lawyer and estimate if both could collaborate regarding the specific case. During this free consultation, the client must ask the lawyer the following questions.

• Will you personally handle my case or any junior member of your firm would be allocated the case?
• How many days should pass before I can expect a call from you?
• What is the hourly rate of your services?
• What is your approach while representing a client in a divorce case?

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