Pro Bono Lawyer | Get the Help You Need

A Pro Bono Lawyer is often said in reference 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 need. Pro Bono Lawyers often prove free or low-cost legal services.

People often seek out free help. 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 take the case.

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

Who Provide Pro Bono Lawyer Services?

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

Lawyers that do provide pro bono services are either doing it as a way to give back to their community or they may work for a program/organization that is paying the attorney. It is important to note that the attorney has to make a living so if they are doing pro bono work full-time someone has to pay them. Because of this finding pro bono assistance can be difficult. Statistics show that less than 1% of all cases for which a client would like a pro bono help do they actually get a lawyer to hand the case on a pro bono basis.

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

In addition, legal aid organizations often provide legal services at no charge to their client. In this case, the pro bono services are free to the client but not to society. The lawyer working on the case paid by the legal aid organization. The legal aid organization 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 is being paid by the court. 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. In fact, 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 in any case they win. Therefore, a contingency lawyer will likely only take cases they fill the will win and will result in a significant cash payment.

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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