Free or Low-Cost Legal Resources
Unfortunately, our national motto has become When in doubt…sue! Ours is the only country that has never implemented tort reform, meaning anyone can sue you for almost any reason and it will cost you – even you’re innocent!
It’s been estimated that we pay on average 25% more for goods and services (especially true for the health profession) because of government regulation and legal costs. The vast majority of the TV lawyer ads seeking plaintiffs for their class action lawsuits result in nearly zero money for the plaintiffs and plenty of bucks for the lawyers. Indeed, the lawyers who sued big tobacco companies on behalf of states, reaped millions for themselves and for the states; however, the states promised to spend the windfall on education programs…in actuality, only one state did as it promised taxpayers. The other 49 simply blew the money on pet projects.
With the average lawyer charging nearly $200 an hour, it’s not hard to see how one can quickly go broke or become bankrupt when embroiled in any kind of legal action.
Pro Bono Legal Services
The odds of never facing legal action are not in your favor, after all, our country is run by lawyers and the American Bar Association is a big time Washington DC lobbyist.
Despite that, there are many lawyers willing to work on a pro bono (free) basis and you can find links to various services (even state by state listings) at the American Bar Association site. Keep in mind, many of these groups have income level criteria. You can also contact your state bar association directly (online search or use the blue pages of most phone directories.
http://www.abanet.org/home.html
Legal Services Corporation is a collection of more than 250 government supported local offices that provide free legal services in their area. Over 5000 attorneys and paralegals are available to individuals and families that are under certain income limits. To find an office near you, call them at: 202-336-8800 or check their site:
www.lsc.gov
lsc.gov/fundprogram.htm provides a state by state listing…or try the blue pages in your local phone directory.
Have your civil rights been violated? The Rutherford Inst. Defends people who have been denied civil and human rights without charge. Parental rights, sexual harassment, religious freedom, civil rights are among the areas they cover.
www.rutherford.org or call 434-978-3888 in Charlottesville, VA
If you belong to a union, national trade association, fraternal organization or other national group, you’ll find they offer free or lower cost legal referrals. Keep in mind too that paralegals can offer services at much lower costs. For example, need a simple divorce or bankruptcy? Most paralegals charge about $200 and will offer filing assistance (but no legal advice). Use your local Yellow Pages to locate one in your area.
Just Answer.com allows you to ask general legal questions online without charge. Visit:
Justanswer.com
Judge Joe Brown – my favorite judge (I get a kick out of him) offers a variety of free legal stuff at his site. Visit:
http://www.judgejoebrown.com/resources.php
Pre-Paid Legal Plans
There are a number of firms offering these plans and some employers offer them as a benefit. Most often, this is a good idea because all it takes is one visit to a lawyer to recoup your membership investment. Most offer a variety of plans and often include identity theft protection programs as well. It’s a form of insurance and as such, read through the offers carefully. For instance, if you have no minor children, you probably don’t want coverage for support or custody issues.
Here are a few you can review (I’m not affiliated with any)
http://www.prepaidplans.com/
http://www.prepaidlegal-services.net/
http://prepaidlegalservicesnbg.com/index.html
Additional thoughts and resources:
Finally, if you want to do your own skip-tracing, background searches, etc.
This is a useful site to use:
http://www.freecollectiontools.com/
