Pro bono lawyers for cps cases near me

Contents

  • 1 Texas Legal Aid For Child Custody
  • 2 Legal Aid For Child Custody
  • 3 Should You Get A Pro Bono Lawyer
  • 4 How To Get Legal Aid For Your Child Custody Case

Child custody cases are some of the toughest cases you can ever go through especially if they are caused by a contested divorce. You cannot handle such cases on your own because any orders given in such cases have a long lasting impact on the parents and the children. However, parents can agree to negotiate and reach an agreement that is fair, and that protects the children involved. Such negotiations can only be fair if there is a lawyer involved because the lawyer knows the legal implications of every decision made in those negotiations. 


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People who cannot afford to hire a child custody lawyer to help them in a child custody case can get legal aid in many forms. They could be referred to family lawyers that offer affordable representation or limited scope representation. There are also lawyers that can agree to take your case Pro Bono, which means that you will not have to pay them anything. Lawyers take on Pro Bono cases to gain experience and to fulfill expectations from the American Bar Association (ABA). The ABA requires a lawyer to provide at least 50 hours of Pro Bono legal services every year. 

Sometimes Pro Bono lawyers are unable to take on your case because of their caseloads and lack of time. You should also know that not all Pro Bono lawyers have experience dealing with child custody cases, and that may or may not affect the outcome of your case. The reason for this is that Pro Bono lawyers often take cases that are not their specialty. For example, a Pro Bono lawyer that specializes in immigration law may offer Pro Bono services for people facing a child custody case.

Another legal aid option is Legal Aid organizations that can assign a lawyer to your case without asking for payment. These organizations can take your case depending on whether they have enough funding, your income, and the complexity of your case. Your income must be at 125% or below the Federal Poverty guidelines to be financially eligible for legal aid. You can still be eligible if your income is greater than 125% and under 200% depending on your economic situation. Most of the time, Legal Aid Organizations don’t have enough funding because of the huge demand for free legal services. 

Should You Get A Pro Bono Lawyer

If the other party in your child custody case has hired a lawyer, you may want to level the playing field by hiring a lawyer that is experience and skilled in handling child support cases. You should also consider whether you are comfortable with your Pro Bono lawyer, because for your case to succeed there must be unhindered communication with your lawyer. You can determine all this by interviewing Pro Bono lawyers before accepting their services.

You may also be interested in Father’s Rights Attorneys, or Texas Adoption Lawyers.

You can contact a program that specializes in providing Pro Bono lawyers, if you want a Pro Bono lawyer. Just know that there is no guarantee that you will get a Pro Bono lawyer if you go to a free legal clinic. You should do research online if you have no idea what Pro Bono lawyers program you should contact in your area. 

Authored By: Pro Bono Net

Contents

  • Overview of Legal Aid
  • Frequently Asked Questions and Options for Finding Legal Help
  • For More Information
  • About this Guide
  • Disclaimer
  • Related Resources

If you cannot afford a lawyer, legal aid may be able to help you.

There are legal aid offices (also called legal services) throughout the United States. Legal aid offices are not-for-profit agencies that provide free legal help to people who cannot afford to hire a lawyer.  While many legal aid offices only help people with very low incomes, some offices have more flexible income rules. Many legal aid offices also offer self-help resources that can help you get started.

Legal aid usually handles cases involving:

  • Domestic violence– if your partner is abusing you, legal aid can help you obtain a protective order, a child custody order and divorce.
  • Family law– if you have a child custody or divorce case, legal aid may be able to help.  Call your local legal aid office or ask the Judge in your case to appoint a legal aid lawyer to represent you in court. 
  • Housing– if you are being evicted from your home or if your house is in foreclosure, legal aid may be able to help.
  • Public benefits– if you have a problem with welfare, Food Stamps, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or Social Security, legal aid may be able to help.

Many legal aid offices may be able to handle other problems including immigration, consumer, and disability issues. Some legal aid offices focus on one area of law, such as disability law, or housing law. Some legal aid offices get funding from the government and that may limit the kind of cases they can take.

To find a legal aid office near you:  Go to www.LawHelp.org and select the state where you live to find out who in your state may be able to help with your legal problem.

    I do not have legal immigration status. Can legal aid help me?

    Each legal aid office has its own rules about who qualifies for its services.  However, if you are a victim of a violent crime or domestic violence, legal aid can help you in any case that helps protect you from the domestic violence or abuse even if you do not have legal immigration status.  If you are a victim of domestic violence, legal aid may also file an immigration application on your behalf.  Some legal aid offices specialize in a wide range of immigration law issues. 

    Go to www.LawHelp.org for information about the rules for the legal aid offices in your area. Visit LawHelp's Immigration Legal Help portal for legal help resources available to all immigrants, regardless of your status.  

    Are there cases that legal aid does not handle?

    Civil legal aid does not handle cases for money damages such as medical malpractice, or car accident cases or traffic violation cases or criminal cases.  (For the difference between civil and criminal issues, see The Differences between Criminal Court and Civil Court).

    What can I expect from a legal aid lawyer?

    Legal aid lawyers have the same qualifications as other lawyers.  Everything you say to your lawyer is confidential, which means that it is not shared with anyone outside of the legal aid office.  Since everything you say to your lawyer is confidential, tell your lawyer the truth.  Your lawyer can help you best when you tell your lawyer the truth.   

    I do not qualify for legal aid. How can I find a private lawyer?

    Your local bar association, which is an organization for lawyers. You can call your local bar association’s lawyer referral service to find a licensed, private lawyer who has experience with your type of legal problem and will meet with you for a reduced fee.  The lawyer will meet with you for 30 minutes about your case for a fee of less than $50. It is very important to carefully review the fee agreement before you hire the lawyer to start working on your case.  Sometimes there is no fee for medical malpractice, car accident or worker’s compensation cases because the lawyer will only get paid if you win your case.

    You can also ask your local bar association if they have any of the following free services for people needing legal help:

    • a volunteer lawyer project
    • a pro bono project (another word for volunteer lawyer project)
    • a free legal workshop
    • a self-help clinic

    To contact the bar association in your area and find other lawyer referral services, visit the ABA's Find Legal Help resources. 

    Where else can I go for help?
    • The ABA's Free Legal Answers program is an online pro bono program that matches low-income clients with volunteer lawyers, who agree to provide brief answers online for free.
    • Some state court systems provide self-help centers for people representing themselves in court without a lawyer. Self-help centers offer free services such as workshops, informational materials, court forms and help completing forms. Visit your state court's website or contact your local legal aid program to see if self-help services are available in your area.  
    • Your local law school may have free legal clinics where law students provide free legal help and are supervised by law professors. 
    • Your local Area Agency on Aging helps seniors, 60 years old or over, with many types of problems. Your local Area Agency on Aging may also provide free or low-cost legal help.  To find your local Area Agency on Aging, visit the AOA's website. 
    • StatesideLegal.org provides referrals and helpful legal tools created for specifically for veterans, service members, and their families,

    For More Information

    Looking for more information on this topic? Visit LawHelp.org and select your state to find other self-help resources and information about free and low-cost legal aid providers in your area.

    About this Guide

    This guide is maintained by Pro Bono Net, and was developed in collaboration with the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York in partnership with the New York LawHelp Consortium. To read all of the guides in this series, visit LawHelp.org

    Disclaimer

    This guide was prepared for general information purposes only. The information it contains is not legal advice. Legal advice is dependent upon the specific circumstances of each situation. Also, the law may vary from state to state. Some information in this guide may not be correct for your state. To find local resources, visit LawHelp.org and select your state.

    Last Review and Update: Aug 04, 2022

    How can I get a free lawyer?

    Go to Public Attorney's Office Public Attorney's Office (PAO) has been known for providing free legal assistance to underprivileged clients. The lawyers will represent the client pro bono.

    What is it called when you can't afford a lawyer?

    When a court decides someone is "indigent" - with few assets and no funds to pay an attorney - generally either a private lawyer will be appointed by the court and paid with county funds, or a public defender program will be appointed to represent the person.

    How long does CPS have to close a case in Washington state?

    CPS has 90 days from the date the report is made to finish its investigation. After the 90 days, CPS must make one of the following choices: (1) end the investigation and close the file; (2) file a dependency petition; or (3) enter into a voluntary contract with the parents.

    What is a pro bono lawyer?

    Pro bono legal services It refers specifically to legal professional services which are provided free of charge if an individual who requires legal advice or services, either cannot afford legal services or does not qualify for legal aid. It can also capture services provided at a reduced rate – “low bono” work.