Pearl River County Bar Association to Hold Legal Clinic

The Pearl River County Bar Association will hold a free legal clinic on Friday June 1, 2018, from 9:00 a.m. until noon at two locations within the county.

The clinic will be held in Poplarville at the Pearl River County Chancery Court, 204 South Julia Street, and in Picayune in the Chancery Courtroom of the Pearl River County Government Complex at 917 Goodyear Boulevard.

The clinic will focus on guardianships needed for school in the fall as well as explanations for usage of the current forms for self-represented litigants who desire divorces, name changes, and emancipations.

Volunteer lawyers will be available to assist self-represented litigants in drafting and correcting paperwork associated with legal proceedings. Attorneys will explain the proceedings, provide general information and answer questions. The attorneys are not obligated to accompany clinic participants to court and file documents for them. The expectation is that individuals will be able to represent themselves in court.

Self-represented litigants often struggle to meet all of the requirements for properly drafted legal documents. If they come to court for a hearing and their documents do not meet court requirements, their hearing will have to be rescheduled. The clinic is designed to prevent that.

“We are pleased to be able to join the Chancery Court in offering this service to people who cannot afford attorneys, but still need access to the state’s civil courts,” said Scott Hillery, Pearl River County Bar President.

Those who wish to participate in the upcoming legal clinic cannot have incomes that exceed 200% of federal poverty guidelines. For a family of two, that would be $32,920. For a family of three, that would be $41,560. For a family of four, that would be $50,200. Individuals cannot make more than $24,280 annually.

There is no need to make an appointment to attend the clinic.