There will be moments in people’s lives that they would need some legal advice regarding an important matter that they wouldn’t be able to handle by themselves and that would require a lawyer.
However, not everyone could hire attorneys because it can be very expensive since they will be your legal representation. Don’t fret, there are services out there that offer free or discounted legal resources, so if you’re stressing out, just continue reading to learn the steps on how to get legal advice without spending a dime.
LOOK FOR FREE SERVICES
Check out a local attorney
No matter where you go, there is always a chance of having an attorney in your area. If you are having a hard time looking for a legal representation that you can afford, why not try to schedule a free legal consultation with your local attorney, surely they would offer a minimum of a 10-minute meeting.
Check your phone book or online and look for attorneys in your area that offers free legal consultation. There are sometimes advertisements for it where it says where to contact them.
Look for legal aid programs
In almost every state, there is a legal aid program, most of the time from the public attorney’s office or the government. These are attorneys who offer free services, but you must be eligible for it. Legal aids can definitely help you provide the legal advice that you need whether it is about divorce, contract issues, real estate, employment, and so on.
Not everyone is qualified for the legal aid, there are times that your income must be lower than a specific amount depending on them, but most of the time, it must be below federal poverty level. It is pretty easy to find legal aid offices, especially with the help of internet. If you find one, you must take advantage of it because it is free and it will truly help you with whatever legal problem you have.
CHECK RATES
Pro bono program
There are places that offer a pro bono program, which basically means services that are delivered for free or that comes with a decent discount. There are non-profit organizations who conduct their own pro bono programs if you don’t want to go to the local or federal bar office.
However, some people believe that the ones from the local bar associations are the best. Just like the legal aid programs from the government, they also require people to prove that they are indeed qualified for the pro bono legal service by stating their annual income, taxes and bank account statements. Private law firms also offer pro bono programs, and would sometimes offer to eliminate other legal fees. You can check out some of these in the American Bar Association’s consumer guide.
CONSIDER TRADING
There are a lot of people who cannot qualify for some free legal services because they’re technically not in the poverty line. This is common especially with people who are living comfortably but cannot afford to spend way too much money on legal advice or representation.
What you can do is to get a lawyer that could accept payment in a form of a property or whatever it is that you can agree on. Some lawyers, also accept down payments, however, these cases happens not very often. So you could either find a more suitable way to get money for the legal services or find a lawyer that would agree on your terms of payment.
There will always be a way for you to be able to have legal assistance. If you have tried everything written above, but still couldn’t get the legal advice that you are looking for, then continue researching for some others.