Counseling the jobless client- Challenges for lawyers in private practice
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
- Organization: State Bar of Georgia Pro Bono Project
Many lawyers whose practice does not traditionally extend to poverty law areas now see clients who have lost their main source of income. The middle class client now presents income maintenance, housing and nutrition issues.
Georgia lawyers can find a wealth of legal resources for clients facing economic crises. GeorgiaAdvocates.org provides detailed help to lawyers on subjects such as food stamp law, Medicaid, foreclosure, housing voucher programs, unemployment insurance and more.
Due process in these programs seems to shift constantly, a fact that may cause a certain level of discomfort for a lawyer who has never worked for Legal Aid. Any lawyer counseling a client who has lost income must be aware of the application process for these different administrative programs, strict and differing appeals deadlines, and how to navigate through the agencies that administer these benefits programs.
As a taste of what's available on GeorgiaAdvocates.org, you can download our administrative law flowchart. The site also provides a detailed list of deadlines/statutes of limitations for public benefits programs, a food stamps estimator, and program manuals and outlines.
Avoid malpractice. Learn some poverty law. We can help.
