There may be times when seniors need legal advice or assistance. There are many reasons this could happen, ranging from mortgage issues to wills and more. No matter what the reason is for needing legal advice the fact remains that hiring an attorney can be costly. Considering most seniors live on fixed incomes and do not have a lot of income, they may struggle to afford an attorney. The good news is that there is free legal assistance and advice for seniors.
Being able to obtain free legal assistance and advice is crucial for seniors, because they may otherwise not be able to afford it. By getting free legal aid or advice they will be able to address the issues at hand without going into debt in order to do it. There are organizations that will help seniors so that they are not taken advantage of or unable to address the legal issues they face.
Where to Find Programs
Most communities have some sort of access to free legal advice for seniors. It just comes down to finding where it is being offered. Depending on the community one lives in this may take a little investigative work, but it can be done and most people will find the resources they need.
Here are some ideas of where to look in your own community for free legal advice or assistance for seniors:
- Senior Centers – Many communities have senior centers that provide a lot of resources for those who need them. Check with your local centers to see if they provide legal advice or can refer you to a place that does.
- Public Libraries – Many libraries around the country hold legal workshops. These are events that are open to the public and are free. An attorney is usually there to provide free legal advice to those who attend. Check the events calendar at your local library or contact them to see if there is one that will be taking place in the near future.
- Colleges – Legal degree programs at colleges will often provide people in the community with free legal advice. They do this to give the law students a chance to practice and get experience. It is usually done with the oversight of a law professor, so you can be assured that the advice you are receiving is correct. Check with your local colleges to see if their legal program offers such a resource.
- Free Consultations – Most attorneys offer a free consultation. This is a great way to get some free legal advice. Attend the consultation ready to fire off some of your pressing questions, so they can get answered during that small window. The attorney uses that consultation so that both parties can determine if it makes sense to team up and work on the case together. It’s a good way to get some free legal advice.
- Legal Workshops – Check with your local community to see if there are any free legal workshops. They are offered at times and are free to everyone in the community, including seniors. You can also contact your county or city government to inquire about free legal workshops. If they don’t have any planned, they may decide to if they feel there is enough interest for one from members of the community.
- Online Resources – You should be able to find a lot of free legal advice online, by searching around and joining law groups. Seniors who are comfortable using Facebook, for example, can join senior and law groups on Facebook, where they can post their questions and get some information. Just exercise caution in knowing that there are no guarantees regarding whether the person is an attorney or not who is providing the advice. That doesn’t mean the information is not correct, but you may want to verify it.
- Organizations – Contact some of the helpful organizations in the community to inquire about free legal assistance. They may offer programs or know where they do and can provide you with a referral for them. Check with places such as Salvation Army and Catholic Charities, for example. They have many locations in the country, so most people have one that is near them.
- Government Websites – Many websites provided by the government offer free legal advice. Check them out to see if they provide the information you need. Additionally, you can check with your local police department, depending on the type of legal assistance you are in need of.
Other Ways to Find Free Legal Help
There is an office in each state called the State Bar. For example, if you live in Nevada, it will be called the Nevada State Bar. This is an organization you can call for all kinds of information about the lawyers in that state. They are also a great resource for finding free legal assistance in that state.
Call your state bar office to inquire about free legal assistance for seniors. Let them know you are a senior in need of free legal help, and tell them what area of the state you live in. They will use that information to search their database with referrals to provide that will be of assistance.
It is called “pro bono” when an attorney provides legal services for free. There are many attorneys who do pro bono work. When you call the state bar office you should ask if there are any attorneys who provide pro bono work for seniors in your area of the state. If those attorneys exist they should be able to help you find them, because they maintain records about such information.
If the state bar provides you a referral for an attorney that does pro bono work for seniors you should contact their office and let them know how you got their information. They will likely schedule a consultation to discuss what it is that you need legal assistance from. Be sure to take your questions and be ready to get the information you need in a timely manner.