is there any assistance for people who cannot afford a lawyer?

[B65]

My Brother in law needs to file Bankruptcy badly... he has a wife and 2 daughters and he has not had a job in over a year and his wife has a small minimum wage job....... she probably brings in 10k a year if that, they cannot afford a lawyer and I was wondering if there is any assistance for people in this situation?

I spoke with him yesterday and told him that if all else fails then I will lend him the filing fee and help him fill out the paperwork as I just went through it myself.. makes me very nervous but I want to help him.


Thanks....

[dogbone33]

They need to stop paying the bills they don't need to pay and try to save up the money. I know it's hard, they should have something for people who can't afford it. Why are we going bankrupt? That is what our lawyer told us to do and it was tough but got it done.

[HHM]

Most major cities will have a "Legal Services" non profit that helps low income individuals and they will usually help state wide.

[Flamingo]

If their income is that low for that family size, they are probably eligible for state aid. Have them contact their Social Services division in their state and they can be given information on legal aid services available to them. There are also some attorneys who provide their services free of charge to needy folks. Your State Bar Association may be able to provide you with more information if there are attorneys in your area providing that service.

[dingdong]

They will also most likely qualify for the filing fee waiver.

[loveends1981]

My sister filed BK about a year and a half ago. She got help with state aid and only had to pay $250. I'd check into the legal area of your state aid and see if there is anything they can do to help.

[DeadManCrawling]

Also,

Remember, if you DO loan him the money, that will ALSO be discharged in bankruptcy.

So if you help, know that he will not be required to pay you back. He may wish to, he may say he will, and he may, but there is no such requirement that he do so.

And his circumstances may change due to the bk, making it more difficult for him to pay you back than either of you can foresee.

I guess what I am saying is this: If you have a close relationship with him, think of any "loan" as more of a gift. Do not let your relationship crash and burn because of something like this, or cause even a little strain or awkwardness.

Not worth it.

Good luck to him!

[BkinTX]

Do they qualify for an ITR (child tax credit, EIC)? We used our ITR to pay our lawyer's fees.