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Overwhelming debt is stressful and can have a negative impact on families already struggling to make ends meet. Household incomes sometimes change dramatically– a job is lost, a health issue prevents employment, an income earner dies or parents divorce. Sometimes companies use the court system to recover unpaid medical bills, credit card balances, rental charges and other consumer debts. Most of the time, these creditors are represented by lawyers, but very few consumers facing debt collection in court have representation.
Shore Legal Access helps people facing debt issues, from a credit card debt that needs to be repaid, homeowners facing foreclosure, to people seeking to file for bankruptcy. SLA’s volunteer attorneys help people to understand their rights, negotiate agreements, and in some cases represent consumers in court.
Legal financial issues are often invisible. Consumers often don’t realize they may have rights that can be protected or realize there are resources available that can help people to resolve debt issues without going to court. One of our volunteer attorneys worked with a local health worker who needed to set up an affordable repayment plan for a loan. She was unable to work for several months due to cancer treatments and fell behind on her payments. She called and called the loan company but was never able to reach anyone who could work with her on a payment plan. She came to her court date and with support from SLA’s volunteer attorney, was able to negotiate an affordable repayment plan and get the case dismissed. Now her credit report has been spared and the weight of the legal case that had been keeping her up at night with worry was lifted.
Shore Legal Access provides free legal representation for people with limited financial means in a range of civil legal issues, including family law. People facing legal issues often feel like they have no place to turn. Shore Legal Access helps people to get the advice they need to figure out their pathway forward and can even provide representation in court for qualifying clients and cases. People on the Eastern Shore don’t have to go it alone. Shore Legal Access’ small legal team and qualified network of volunteer attorneys provide legal counseling and representation. To find out more, call Shore Legal Access at 410-690-8128 or fill out an online intake form at www.shorelegal.org.
