Pro Bono Lawyer | Get the Help You Need

A Pro Bono Lawyer is often used to refer to a lawyer who provides legal services to a client at no charge.  This is most commonly done for low-income people with cases involving basic survival and humanitarian needs. Pro Bono Lawyers often provide free or low-cost legal services.

People often seek out free help or help where someone else is paying. Most often, they will seek out a lawyer with expertise in the area of law they need, such as a family lawyer, divorce lawyer, child support lawyer, or child custody lawyer. For an attorney to take a case and not charge a fee, there must be a compelling reason for the lawyer to do so.

If you can’t find free assistance, you may be able to find a low-cost lawyer, a limited-scope lawyer, or an assisted pro se program specializing in the legal area you need. If the lawyer says they can’t provide pro bono services, ask if they will do one of the above.

Who Provides Pro Bono Lawyer Services?

First, it is essential to understand that there is no such thing as a Pro Bono Lawyer. The term refers to a lawyer providing legal services at no charge. Lawyers do not go to school or get licenses in an area of law called pro bono.

Lawyers who provide pro bono services typically either do it to give back to their community or work for a program/organization that pays them. It is important to note that the attorney has to make a living, so unless they work for a legal aid-type organization that pays them, they do not do pro bono work full-time.

Because of this, finding pro bono assistance can be complex. Statistics show that less than 1% of all cases for which a client would like pro bono help do they get a lawyer to handle the case on a pro bono basis.

Another way that pro bono help is funded is through large law firms. These firms encourage their lawyers to take on cases pro bono, allowing the firm to provide social accountability by providing community service.

In addition, legal aid organizations often provide legal services at no charge to their clients. In this case, the pro bono services are free to the client but not to society. The lawyer working on the case is paid by the legal aid organization, which is often funded through state and federal tax dollars.

Court-appointed and Contingency Lawyers

A Pro Bono Lawyer is sometimes confused with a court-appointed lawyer.  A court-appointed lawyer is a lawyer that the court is paying. They are appointed to the case.  The court, or judge, selects the lawyer, hires the lawyer, and pays the lawyer. Although the lawyer may be appointed to your case, who do you think the lawyer is effectively working for?

Contingency lawyers are sometimes confused with pro bono lawyers. People tend to think that a contingency lawyer works for free. A contingency lawyer is a lawyer who works a case on a contingency basis.  This means that the contingency lawyer is not paid on an hourly basis. Instead, they are paid a percentage of the settlement if they win. Therefore, a contingency lawyer will likely only take cases they feel they will win, resulting in a significant cash payment. Family law cases cannot be done on contingency — most lawyers would not want a percentage of your child custody arrangement.

This article is for information purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for legal advice.  Please consult with an attorney for legal advice.

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