When Low-Income People Have Access to Legal Services, Everyone Wins
John Crossman, CCIM, CRX
President @ CrossMarc Services | Real Estate Investment
?When you think about what low-income people need, legal services is probably not at the top of the list—but there are times when access to a lawyer can be as important as help with housing, food, and medical care.
That was one of the key things Jeff Harvey and I talked about when he was my guest on The Crossman Conversation . Jeff is the CEO of Community Legal Services , a non-profit law firm providing no-cost civil legal assistance for low-income and vulnerable residents in about 12 Central Florida counties. Service areas include debt and creditors, disaster relief, workers’ rights and discrimination, military and veterans’ issues, divorce, fraud and unfair agreements, legal help for older adults, wills and estates, and more.
Jeff said recently someone asked him why a person who has no money would need estate planning help. The short answer is that low-income people often still have assets.
“If someone has a home, that home is protected in Florida under the homestead rules and it should pass to the heirs without any claims outside of a mortgage,” Jeff said. “But if the person that’s inheriting the home has to go through a long probate process and can’t afford an attorney, it prevents the wealth transfer from one generation to the next.”
For disputes and many other legal issues, getting qualified legal assistance early may help avoid litigation and other consequences.
“One of the biggest issues we face is that people don’t contact us early enough in their problem,” Jeff said. “If you call my organization when you lose your job, we’re probably going to help you save your home. If you call me the day of the foreclosure sale, I might be able to buy you a week or two, but there’s not a whole lot I can do for you at that point.”
领英推荐
Our system only works when it works for everyone, not just the well-off and well-connected.
Community Legal Services is one of Central Florida’s most valuable resources. Learn more about what they do and how you can support them by listening to my conversation with Jeff Harvey here:
To find out how the Central Florida Urban League is working to end generational poverty, listen to my conversation with Glen Gilzean, Jr., here:
John Crossman is the founder of Crossman Career Builders , the host of The Crossman Conversation , and the author of Career Killers Career Builders . Check out Crossman Career Builders on YouTube . Connect with John on LinkedIn , Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .