Pro bono attorneys and volunteer paralegals gathered on a recent Saturday morning at Centennial Tower, a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development residential facility, to serve senior citizens by creating needed advance directives documents.
The Advance Directives for Seniors Pro Bono Project is a quarterly event that provides area senior citizens an opportunity to create important legal documents for no charge.
The project is a collaboration of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Florida Coastal School of Law, The Jacksonville Bar Association and the Northeast Florida Paralegal Association.
The events are held in two parts on separate days.
On the first day, senior citizens gather for a group session where longtime pro bono attorney Pat Vail presents information on the purposes of important life-planning documents such as durable power of attorney; designation of health care surrogate; designation of pre-need guardian; and a living will.
Residents who need the documents are encouraged to make an appointment for the second day of the event.
Megan Nuckles, Centennial Tower service coordinator, played a large role in making the free legal assistance available to the residents.
Nuckles' job was to schedule the residents for individual appointments with the attorneys on the second day.
She also was responsible for publicity of the service to the residents, reserving the meeting space and ensuring residents were prepared for their appointments with attorneys.
"Our senior citizens are enjoying longer lives and higher quality of life. We appreciate joining with the legal community to ensure that as our residents become less able to manage themselves they have trusted people in place to help them with their household, health, and long-term concerns," said Nuckles.
For the second day of the project, attorneys, notaries and paralegals brought laptops, seals and printers and created and executed the needed
documents for 18 senior citizens.
As the attorneys interviewed residents and offered counsel, paralegals composed the documents using the residents' information gathered from lifetime planning questionnaires.
The documents were printed, executed, scanned and archived with Jacksonville Area Legal Aid. Residents left their appointments with fully executed documents reflecting their wishes and preferences.
Participating attorneys at the Centennial Tower event were Tess Arington, Mike Arington, Cyndy Trimmer, Hollyn Foster, Robyn Moore, Bruce Duggar and Debbie Lee-Clark.
Volunteering paralegals were Margaret Costa, Connie Schoenung, Brittany Smith, Ronline Canady, Rita Agnew Geer and Lynn Conway.
Sincere thanks and appreciation are extended to Mike Jorgensen of Senior Counsel Law; Vicki Joiner Bowers; Robert M. Morgan and Associates; The Law Office of Imani Boykin; and The General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Section of The Florida Bar.
These events offer services that provide a greater sense of security for those who are underrepresented. They also bring awareness to the needs of seniors in our own community.
Attorneys who would like information about participating in the advance directives or other pro bono events are encouraged to contact Kathy Para, The JBA Pro Bono Committee chairwoman, at [email protected].