Shore Legal Access

"Never forget that justice is what love looks like in public." – Dr. Cornel West

When someone knocked on Carol's door and served her a court summons, her heart began to race. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she gulped for air. In her 63 years, she had never received a summons or seen the inside of a courtroom. But now she was facing a debt case after co-signing a car loan to help her adult daughter, who had lost her job and couldn't keep up with the payments.

Things got even harder when Carol was diagnosed with cancer. Unable to work for several months, she couldn’t continue helping her daughter with the loan. She was paralyzed with fear—her credit would be ruined, and she didn’t know how she could possibly escape the debt, especially with her health issues limiting her income.

Fortunately, Carol connected with a volunteer attorney from Shore Legal Access. Together, they developed a plan. The attorney would negotiate a lower monthly payment that Carol could manage. After that, Carol and her daughter would figure out how to repay the debt once her daughter got back on her feet.

Carol didn’t know she could get legal help until a friend told her about Shore Legal Access. She was nervous about calling, ashamed of her situation, but her friend helped her submit an inquiry online. The next day, a case manager reached out, and soon Carol had an attorney by her side.

In civil cases, there is no right to counsel, yet nearly half of American households face at least one civil legal issue each year. In Maryland, 30% of households don't make enough to cover basic living expenses, let alone hire an attorney.

Organizations like Shore Legal Access are vital. They provide advice, prepare documents, and offer courtroom representation for civil matters such as divorce, custody, landlord/tenant disputes, consumer debt, foreclosure, criminal record expungement, and estate planning.

You don’t have to face these challenges alone. If you or someone you know could benefit from legal assistance, contact Shore Legal Access by filling out an online inquiry at www.shorelegal.org or calling 410-690-8128.