Jacksonville Area Legal Aid has partnered with Three Rivers Legal Services to create an Estate Planning Intake Night at 5 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month beginning Sept. 10.
The service will be offered by pro bono attorneys.
The time commitment will be 5-7:30 p.m. once a month or less.
Attorneys from Akerman have agreed to staff the first intake night to begin the service.
Here's a rundown:
Why are the events happening?
Because of limited budgets, Legal Aid and Three Rivers are not able to provide staff attorney time for probate matters, simple wills and advance directives. This is an area of law entirely handled by pro bono attorneys.
How will it work?
People in need of probate, will creation or advance directives assistance will be pre-screened and scheduled for 45-minute appointments beginning at 5:15 p.m. at Legal Aid's Downtown office at 126 W. Adams St.
Using an interview checklist, pro bono attorneys will receive the facts of the estate planning matter.
The pro bono attorney may agree to assist the client with the matter, however, case acceptance is not a requirement for participation by the pro bono attorney in Estate Planning Intake Night.
In that instance, the case will be opened for placement and Legal Aid will work to place the case with a pro bono attorney.
When probate assistance is needed, only uncontested matters will be opened and referred. For contested matters, applicants will be referred to The Jacksonville Bar Association's Lawyer Referral Service.
How often do I need to volunteer?
Pro bono attorneys and their firms may sign up as often as their schedules allow. Five pro bono attorneys will be scheduled for each event.
Four will serve as interviewing attorneys and one will "float" and serve as an expert resource available to the interviewing attorneys.
What if I don't know anything about probate, wills, or advance directives?
Pro bono attorneys do not need expertise in estate planning law. Interviewing intake attorneys will use an already-developed questionnaire specific to the goals of the applicant to document the basic facts of the case.
Pro bono attorneys who are interested in assisting a client with his or her matter can view Legal Aid's Basic Probate CLE webinar and/or the Wills/Advance Directives CLE webinar at home or from the office.
This is not a requirement but is available for those who would like a basic knowledge of these areas of law before or after the intake night.
New pro bono attorneys also can be paired with an expert resource attorney after accepting a pro bono case.
The pro bono attorney is covered by Legal Aid's professional liability insurance when assisting a Legal Aid pro bono client.
How do I volunteer?
Contact Kathy Para, The JBA Pro Bono Committee chairwoman, and tell her you'd like to volunteer for Estate Planning Intake Night and the dates you are available.
Look at your calendar for availability on the second Tuesday of the month and email [email protected].
If, like Akerman, your firm would like to provide the four interviewing attorneys for a particular month or months, we'll reserve the months you choose.
For information on other pro bono opportunities throughout the 4th Judicial Circuit, attorneys are encouraged to contact Para.