This attorney will represent low-income individuals when seeking divorce and does not charge for their services. In Latin pro-bono means “for the good” and in the legal world it means that the divorce lawyer will provide all necessary legal services for the divorce at no cost to his client. Their clients can be referred to them from domestic violence shelters or be walk-in clients. They will handle all areas of the divorce case, such as:
• Interview your client to gather all the information necessary to prepare the divorce petition.
• Prepare the paperwork for the dissolution of the marriage.
• Make sure child custody is properly determined
• Make sure the property is divided fairly and correctly
• Make sure child support is calculated correctly
• Perform any other service related to the divorce process.
If the reason your client is seeking a divorce is because of domestic violence, the divorce attorney will file an emergency protective order and help his client find an emergency shelter. If your client has bruises from domestic violence, the divorce attorney will usually take pictures of these bruises to use as evidence in the divorce case. Usually they will request the records from the hospital where the client was treated for various injuries such as broken bones, concussions, etc.
If the pro bono divorce attorney discovers that the spouse is not being truthful about their assets, they will make a discovery to find these hidden assets. A divorce that precedes a discovery is through which the spouse is required to disclose information by providing copies of financial documents or any other document and answering the questions that the pro bono divorce attorney requests regarding the hidden assets. This is done so that child support is calculated correctly and the client receives an impartial and fair division of the property.
While the divorce is awaiting finalization, if there are children, the divorce attorney will file a motion to establish an interim order regarding child custody and support. This type of order is temporary. It is one that the court has entered while the attorneys prepare the divorce case to be presented in court. Divorce attorneys will have the opportunity to make a discovery and can even settle all issues related to divorce. If there are particular problems that the lawyers cannot solve, they will present them to the divorce court. The divorce attorney will present evidence to the judge and then present arguments in order to obtain a judgment that is favorable to your client.