Thirty free family law clinics are scheduled across the state during June, which is Access to Justice Month.
Low-income people who need help with family law matters such as guardianships to enroll children in school, uncontested divorce, legal name change and emancipation may be able to find legal assistance at one of the clinics.
In the 14th Chancery District, which includes Webster County, an Access to Justice clinic will be from 2-5 p.m. June 26 at the Lowndes County Chancery Court, 515 2nd Ave. N., Columbus. This clinic is limited to uncontested matters.
“We hope to see more hours of legal services donated this month to assist our needy citizens than at any time other than during large scale natural disasters,” said Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. “The unmet civil legal needs of the poor are a silent and less visible source of suffering. Unmet legal needs exacerbate the effects of poverty.”
Approximately 695,000 people in Mississippi, a fifth of the state’s population, live at or below poverty level, and about 1.3 million of the impoverished and the working poor – almost 45 percent of the state’s population – qualify for civil legal aid. Many struggle to represent themselves pro se in court without the assistance of an attorney.
Waller has called for civil legal clinics to be held throughout the state. Every Chancery Court district has agreed to host a free civil legal clinic this year. Local bar associations have worked with the Access to Justice Commission and the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project to organize the clinics.
“Civil legal aid helps people protect their livelihoods, their health and their families,” said Access to Justice Commission Executive Director Nicole McLaughlin. “We are proud that our legal community continues to support access to justice for those in need. Through the scheduled legal clinics, we will be able to assist an unprecedented amount of Mississippians with family law issues.”
Gayla Carpenter-Sanders, executive director and general counsel of the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project, said, “Pro bono work helps to bring closure to legal matters for individuals who cannot afford an attorney. MVLP is fortunate to work with attorneys across this state who dedicate countless hours to making sure we restore hope in the lives of our underserved residents.”
Civil legal clinics scheduled throughout June and later this year are designed to give people enough basic legal advice and directions so that they can handle simple legal matters on their own in Chancery Court. Attorneys at the legal clinics will help clients prepare documents, give limited legal advice and help them get ready to go to court on their own.
People seeking legal assistance must register in advance and be screened for eligibility based on income.
Eligibility to attend a clinic is limited to people whose income is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. For example, that would be an annual income of $24,280 or less for an individual; an annual income of $32,920 or less for a two-person household; $41,560 or less for a family of three; or $50,200 or less for a family of four, based on the 2018 federal poverty guidelines of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
For more information, contact Access to Justice Commission Executive Director Nicole McLaughlin at 601-960-9581 or nmclaughlin@msbar.org.
