People call all the time, wanting pro bono divorce help. Though I certainly understand – wanting a divorce is not the same thing as being in a position financially to be able to afford to have a divorce attorney do it – it’s really not something that any law firms I know of actually offer. (At least, not because someone calls on the phone asking for it!) Our ethical rules, as most people are aware, do encourage us to provide help to people who can’t afford legal assistance – and we do! We … [Read more...]
I want a pro bono lawyer
We literally get calls every single day from women asking whether we will take their cases pro bono. I’m not sure where this all got started, but the reality is that we really can’t take entire cases pro bono. That doesn’t mean that your case isn’t serious, or that your financial situation isn’t bleak. It doesn’t mean that you’re not deserving, and it certainly doesn’t mean that we are uncaring. In fact, one of the things that I love the most about the group of people that I work with here (and … [Read more...]
Why does my Virginia divorce case cost so much?
At Second Saturday and also in my initial consultations, one of the first questions I am asked usually has to do with price. Usually, women want to know how much their case will cost. It’s a difficult question to answer, and one that I’ve tried to tackle from a million different angles. When it comes to cost, and estimating, in general, how much your divorce or custody case will ultimately cost you, there are a lot of different ways you can look at it. Today, I plan to talk about as many of … [Read more...]
What are my options if I can’t afford to hire a Virginia divorce attorney?
It can be hard to afford to hire an attorney to represent you in your divorce case, even if you wish you could. If the money isn’t there, it just isn’t there—no matter how badly you need the legal help. I get it. In fact, I see it all the time. Lots of women come in to our office for an initial consultation, but ultimately can’t afford to pay the retainer. It’s not that we’re the most expensive law firm in town. Of course, it’s also not like we’re cheap. Excellent legal representation costs; it … [Read more...]
Pro Bono Custody Services in Virginia
Almost every single day we have someone call and ask about whether we offer pro bono services for women facing Virginia custody cases. (Sorry, but we really don't.) I can understand why. There’s definitely a general presumption that pro bono is a thing that lawyers do (or are required to do), and there’s obviously a need out there for those types of services. Not everyone can afford to pay the retainer to hire an attorney, let alone continue to pay the bills once the retainer fee has been … [Read more...]
