America Family Law Center (AFLC) strives to help families with low-bono family law assistance. The goal is to help close the Justice Gap for low-income Americans. The organization seeks to make as many services as possible accessible for free to the public and provide greater access to justice to low-income Americans.
When America Family Law Center was founded, it was modeled using the same guiding principles that are fundamental to the American Bar Association (ABA) Standard for the Provision of Civil Legal Aid. America Family Law Center tracks closely with the ABA on limited-scope representation (see ABA Standard 3.4), legal advice (see ABA Standard 3.4-1 & 3.4-2), and assistance to pro-se or self-represented litigants (see ABA Standard 3.5) in family law matters and incorporates this with the effective use of technology (see ABA Standard 2.10).
America Family Law Center has assisted its clients with situations ranging from resource referrals to active court litigation. One can think of America Family Law Center as providing services to people involved in family disputes all the way to people who are pro-se or self-represented litigants in a family law case. Clients in good standing who are pro-se or self-represented litigants can get free advice, guidance, and coaching from attorneys to answer questions and help them resolve their situation or legal case with the best possible outcome, given the reality of available resources. Many situations that America Family Law Center assists with may not call for an attorney’s involvement. America Family Law Center is a nonprofit charitable organization that strives to resolve as many situations as possible in a nonconfrontational matter and without litigation or court involvement, but has attorneys to assist those clients who do need legal advice or involvement in an active legal case.
The organization has had recent clients residing in all 50 states. With our advanced use of technology, we can provide services to people, regardless of location, from the comfort and privacy of their homes via phone and internet access.
America Family Law Center offers advanced services uniquely designed to assist pro-se or self-represented litigants involved in family law matters. These advanced services, commonly called Client Services, focus on resolving matters as quickly and efficiently as possible. Client Services are a defined scope of services geared to assisting those who do not receive free legal representation (e.g. free legal aid) and do not have the resources to hire a full-service attorney in a traditional manner. Client Services can sometimes be thought of as falling into one of two groups: social-related services and legal-related services. Legal-related services will often involve an attorney, social-related services may not. All of the services offered by America Family Law Center are centered around its commitment to help people with family law situations and to resolve conflict and discord in a family structure. Working with America Family Law Center does not create an attorney-client privilege relationship; should it be considered to do so clients expressly waive their right to any attorney-client privilege. America Family Law Center’s services are not appropriate for people wanting legal services that would include an attorney-client privilege relationship. America Family Law Center does strive to keep client’s information private and secure. If you are interested in having the information about your situation covered by attorney-client privilege, then America Family Law Center’s services are not for you, and you should seek assistance elsewhere.
America Family Law Center encourages those who qualify for and are granted access to free legal assistance from another legal aid organization or law firm to take advantage of that free assistance. America Family Law Center encourages those who have the money to hire a full-service attorney in a traditional manner to do so. America Family Law Center is here to assist those pro-se and self-represented litigants in family law cases who do not get free legal aid and cannot afford to pay a traditional full-service attorney thousands of dollars, those in the Justice Gap. See below for more details of what is and what is not provided with Client Services.
America Family Law Center tries to make available, for free, to the public the following public services. Several of these are Texas-based resources as America Family Law Center originated in Texas, so many of its resources may be more mature in Texas than in other states. However, if you are in need of resources in other states, please contact us, and we will do whatever we can to help you.
In addition to the public services listed above, America Family Law Center makes available to its clients the following Client Services. There is typically, but not always, a fee to be a client of America Family Law Center. For a client in good standing, all of the client services are free. These services are subject to availability and may not be available in some states based on the state where your case is, or will be, located. This changes over time, so please call us if you need assistance, and we will be happy to see if we can help you. America Family Law Center’s Client Services include help for pro-se and self-represented litigants to free get advice, guidance, and coaching from attorneys.
Client Services fees, when applicable, will typically range from $50 to $600. Client Services typically covers an entire year of free services with no additional fee to America Family Law Center. Client Services includes only those services provided by America Family Law Center; it does not include services provided by partners, affiliates, or others. Some of the services included in Client Services may require a client’s account to be “paid in full” and have no outstanding balance before receiving the service, and some do not. Any money paid to America Family Law Center for services is considered earned in full upon payment. America Family Law Center does not operate like a traditional law firm that may hold funds in an IOLTA-type account and later apply those funds when services are provided. With America Family Law Center, clients pay a fee for the program, and the services provided under that program, the Client Services, are then provided without charge. If you are interested in having your money held in an IOLTA-type account, then America Family Law Center’s services are not for you.
Client Services does not include: a guarantee, assurance, or representation of any particular outcome; an attorney going to court with clients; legal representation (being an attorney of record in a court case); drafting legal documents; filing documents; payment of any filing fees; process of service; fees for a process of service; private investigations; fees for investigative services; responding to discovery requests; subpoenaing witnesses; performing depositions; and others. Client Services may include referrals to some services that are not included in Client Services.
People involved in an active legal case may need legal documents. Although America Family Law Center’s services do not include the drafting of legal documents, several resources are available to those who need legal documents. Several websites offer online forms or online legal document drafting services, like LegalZoom.com, ContractsCounsel.com, LegalTemplates.com, and many others. Law libraries are often a good source of information and forms. Attorneys will often draft documents for people. In some states, paralegals may be allowed to draft legal documents. Depending on the case, America Family Law Center may be able to refer people to a legal document service that will draft legal documents. People are encouraged to search online for document drafting services as these services may change frequently.
America Family Law Center’s staff attorneys and trained legal staff work with our clients to help get their case or situation resolved with the best possible outcome. Many situations can be resolved without a contested legal case. Most family law cases are resolved through mediation, agreement, or by default – most do not require a contested court trial for resolution. Outside attorneys are typically available for an additional fee when a client wants to engage such an attorney for a contested court hearing or otherwise (any fees for a 3rd party attorney are between the client and that attorney and do not involve AFLC). America Family Law Center does not prohibit or discourage its clients from hiring an attorney to represent them in their case, but any such engagement would be by and between the client and the attorney and would be entirely separate and apart from the Client Services provided by America Family Law Center.
It is widely recognized that many people with family law-related matters do not have the financial means to hire an attorney or qualify to receive free (often taxpayer-paid) legal aid – referred to as the Justice Gap. America Family Law Center strives to help those in the Justice Gap by offering family law assistance. If a person has the means to hire an attorney traditionally, America Family Law Center encourages them to do so. If a person qualifies for and is able to receive free legal aid, America Family Law Center encourages them to take advantage of it. However, for those who have a family law-related matter, cannot afford an attorney, and do not receive legal aid, America Family Law Center may be able to help.