Administrative Office of Courts
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Free family law clinics set for residents of 14th Chancery District July 26, 2021 Low income residents of Chickasaw, Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee, Oktibbeha and Webster counties may receive free civil legal assistance at family law clinics scheduled for Aug. 6 and Aug. 13. A virtual clinic is scheduled for Aug. 6, 8:30 a. m. to 12:30 p.m. The Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project will conduct the clinic via Zoom. Those interested in participating in the virtual clinic may gain access via the MVLP website at https://www.mvlp.net/clinics. An in-person free family law clinic will be held Aug. 13, noon to 4 p.m., at the Clay County Chancery Courthouse, 365 Court Street, West Point. The clinics will offer assistance with family law matters including uncontested irreconcilable differences divorce, uncontested guardianships, name changes, emancipation, simple wills, advance healthcare directives and power of attorney. Volunteer lawyers will provide legal assistance to people who can't afford to hire an attorney. Participants must be screened for eligibility based on income. Income guidelines and registration are available on the website of the 14th Chancery Court district at this link: http://www.14thchanceryms.com/legalclinic.pdf. Volunteer lawyers give people enough basic legal advice and directions so that they can handle simple legal matters on their own. Attorneys at the legal clinic will help clients prepare documents, give limited legal advice and help them get ready to go to court on their own. Chancellor Paula Drungole-Ellis said, "We are so excited to offer clinics to help residents in the counties covered by the 14th Chancery Court District. We urge litigants with pending cases or those seeking to file a case pro se (self-represented) to please register for one of the clinics. You can do it 'virtually' without leaving home or in person at the Courthouse." "There are so many people who need legal help, but do not have the funds to hire an attorney. This is the opportunity to get help, which makes the process easier for the litigant and the Court system," Judge Drungole-Ellis said. "We certainly appreciate area lawyers who are volunteering their time to help each registrant with the process." For additional information, contact the 14th Chancery Court Administrator's office at 662-323-5130. The Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project and the Access to Justice Commission are working to schedule free civil legal assistance clinics for residents of other parts of the state. A list of free legal clinics across the state is at this link: https://courts.ms.gov/Legal/CivilLegal.php. Clinic topics and limitations are posted on the clinic schedule on the Mississippi Judiciary website at https://courts.ms.gov/Legal/CivilLegal.php, or on the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project website at https://www.mvlp.net/clinics. #### |
