Our mission:
The Volunteer Lawyer Network, Inc. is dedicated to facilitating the provision of free legal assistance and representation from community lawyers to low-income individuals located in St. Joseph, Elkhart, LaPorte, Starke, Marshall and Kosciusko counties. Our purpose is to promote equal access to justice for all residents of those counties, regardless of economic status, by creating and promoting opportunities for attorneys to provide pro bono civil legal services to persons of limited means; to improve the overall delivery of civil legal services to persons of limited means; and to foster the growth of a public service culture within our community which values pro bono publico service.
Counties served:
St. Joseph, Elkhart, LaPorte, Starke, Marshall and Kosciusko
Types of cases:
Our program assists in the areas of:
| Family Law | Adoptions | Guardianships |
| Dissolution (Divorce) | Landlord/tenant | Consumer/Collections |
| Estate Law | Wills | Powers of Attorney |
| Health Care Directives | Contracts | Foreclosure |
| Bankruptcy | Immigration | Real Estate |
We cannot accept cases with hearings within 30 days, cases with emergency needs,
or cases within certain areas, including:
| Criminal Cases | Traffic/License Violations | Personal Injury |
| Medical Malpractice | Wrongful Death | Change of Venue |
| CHINS Cases | Juvenile Delinquency | Paternity |
| Cases filed in another pro bono district or state | ||
| Cases against the judicial system, criminal justice system, or any government entity | ||
Other activities:
Our program can also assist with pro se document preparation for those who want to represent themselves in family law matters. Throughout the year, The Volunteer Lawyer Network hosts several "Ask-A-Lawyer" events, which provide individuals with an opportunity to obtain brief legal advice from a volunteer attorney at no cost to them.