Community legal advice is just another way of saying you are in need of free legal advice. Depending on your personal legal needs, there are ways of gaining the proper knowledge you seek without spending large quantities of money.
Lucky for us individuals today, the world wide web offers a lot of vital information on just about every subject known to man. However, surfing the net may not be the right option depending on what you are in need of advice for. Friends and family are another alternative, but there is only so much information that one stands to benefit from anyone without a legal background. There will also be those individuals that will be all too eager to share their options with you, but you must not read too much into that information especially if they have no background within the legal field.
There are attorneys out there that are willing to provide you with the proper information free of charge. These attorneys may be hard to locate, but they are indeed out there. When you find one that is willing to meet with you, be sure to take notes, and make sure you are aware of their free of charge policy. Some law firms may not clearly explain their free of charge policy and you may get stuck with a bill even after informing you that it is free of charge. Therefore, make sure they are very clear about what is free and what you are being charged for.
Another valuable piece of information to consider is, making sure you are also meeting with the right type of lawyer for your specific needs. For instance, if you are seeking community legal advice concerning a family law matter, then make sure they specialize in family law cases, or have at least handled a few successful cases. You do not want to discuss a criminal issue with a civil attorney, for they will be leading you in the wrong direction. Just because you may not have the money for their representation, does not mean you are not entitled to valuable information.
Meeting with several attorneys may also be a good idea. This way you can compare notes and gain a better sense of knowledge of what you may be in need of. Any time an individual is in need of legal representation it can be very stressful. Therefore as much knowledge as one can gain without draining your bank account in the process, is always the best solution, especially for those of us who may be living on a fixed income.
Community legal advice is very helpful for someone who is not financially stable, but being provided with the wrong information can be disastrous. Not having enough money is your bank account is no reason to be led in the wrong direction. It may take a little work, but you will eventually find someone that will be willing to helpful in your time of need. Just be sure they are legit, and you are benefiting from the meeting.