Hear From the
SCD President

Not all attorneys have the time to volunteer at organized events, particularly on weekends. Those that can provide immeasurable help to those in need, whether it is at a community desk where people can “ask a lawyer,” or at a food bank event to sort and pack food items for those who need it. But for those who are too busy with work or their own family obligations on the weekends, there are other ways we can help serve our community. Of course, we can just make a donation to a charity or a needy cause. But there is another way we can be of service using our knowledge and skills as lawyers. No matter what type of law we practice, we all get the random call asking for legal help regarding an issue that may be outside our practice area, but within our general knowledge. During my many years at a personal injury law firm, we often got calls about matters that did not actually involve physical injuries to people, but instead had to deal with property damage, neighbor property disputes involving trees, contracts, or minor injury matters that thankfully did not involve injuries that warranted a circuit court lawsuit. Sure, the easy-out is to say “sorry, we don’t handle those types of claims” and tell the person to keep randomly trying to find help. But it is far more rewarding if we take the time to get the basic facts, and then offer the person some guidance on where to find resources. For example, when the matter is a small property damage issue or someone has failed to pay money they owe, small claims court or district court is there to serve the caller. It doesn’t take long to have the caller turn on their computer or go online on their phone, and to then guide them to the Judiciary website and its self-help forms. Once they see the forms, the callers were most often able to take it from there, they just needed to be pointed in the right direction. Other times it just takes a quick look on our computer to tell the person where they need to contact regarding their particular issue, particularly with a government agency. And of course, if the person really needs an attorney to represent them, the best thing we can do is give them the name of someone we know handles their type of case. It doesn’t take long to try to be helpful on the phone, and the little time you spent can make a big difference to the caller. Don’t be surprised if several months later that person calls you back to tell you they went to court and got their money, or they were able to get their problem solved, and they just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to talk to them. Its not all about making a profit – its good to be helpful when we can.

Thank you! Harvey