Lawyers spend day in the park
“Street Law,” advertised the sandwich board in Riverfront Park. “Talk to a Lawyer For Free Today.”
And they did.
People lined up Saturday for advice on bankruptcy, custody, property disputes and other legal problems.
This is the second summer that local lawyers have offered free advice at the park. They help about 25-30 people each Saturday.
“If we can’t help them, we can tell them where to go,” said volunteer attorney Norma Myers.
Some people come down because they’ve already heard about the program. Others stumble upon it while having fun at the park. Most come with bankruptcy, family law or landlord/tenant problems, although the lawyers are prepared to answer questions on a variety of topics.
Spokane Valley lawyer Jane Bitz, who focuses her practice on elder law and estate planning, was handling most of the financial topics.
Cheryl White came down because she’d read about the Street Law days in the newspaper. She had questions about how she could get help declaring bankruptcy, how it would impact her taxes and whether she and her long-time partner could file together even though they aren’t married.
Bitz told White that unless she and her partner had filed for credit together, they would most likely not be able to jointly file for bankruptcy. She then referred White to the Spokane County Bar Association’s bankruptcy clinic.
White said she appreciated the help. “It was a good steppingstone to come here first,” she said.
For Jamie Fischer, the problem was how she and her husband could afford the help they need to get full custody of her 4-year-old stepson.
“We’ve talked to an attorney, but the retainer is $2,500. It’s hard to spend that kind of money for a maybe,” said Fischer, who said she appreciated the chance to get some free advice.
Second-year Gonzaga University law student Seth Adams managed the flow, taking names and directing people to which of the three lawyers had the most expertise for each legal question.
Adams said he is happy to volunteer for the project, which he initially thought might be “too good to be true.”
“From a law student perspective, it helps me keep a finger on the pulse of what people need, what they’re looking for,” said Adams, who added that besides the practical reasons, he volunteered to show the honor of the legal profession. “I want to break down the idea that all lawyers are sharks and just looking to get paid.”
The effort is sponsored by a number of groups including the Center for Justice and the Spokane County Bar Association.