Legal Services of Southern Missouri - 'Only Game in Town' Providing Free Legal Aid - Has Seen 20% Rise in Applications for Assistance; Turning Away Poor and Newly Poor
Legal Services E-lert
Bibliographic Info:
Author: Kevin Schwaller
Source: "People Search for Legal Aid," OzarksFirst.com (MO)
Date: January 17, 2010
OzarksFirst.com reports: "More people are asking a local organization for a free lawyer. Many applicants simply don't have the money to pay for an attorney to help them through bankruptcy, housing disputes or domestic violence cases, so they turn to [LSC-funded] Legal Services of Southern Missouri. 'Probably as bad or worse than I've seen it,' said Doug Kays, the groups executive director. He started working for the group for nearly 30 years ago. 'We're seeing people who have not always been low income people,' he said . . . . And Kays says the economy is forcing more people to look for the aid. The group sorted through about 20 percent more applications last year than the year before. 'Because of our funding we can't help everyone,' Kays said. 'We're turning away a lot of people who are income eligible, but even worse, there's people who are over our income guideline who need help' . . . . . 'Quite a bit of people coming in and looking for, to do-it-yourself legal assistance,' said Becka Clemens, a reference assistant for the [Midtown Carnegie Library in Springfield]. The papers for a divorce contain 70 pages of instructions and forms to sort through. 'I really don't recommend people trying to represent themselves unless they have a very, very simple case,' said Kays . . . . 'We're pretty much the only game in town, so to speak, for free legal services.' Kays said. 'So there's really not a whole lot people can do, it's really a sad situation.'"