Announcing the Heir Property Pro Bono Project
By I am pleased to announce the launch of the Heir Property Pro Bono Project. Many legal services organizations encounter clients with heir property issues as these issues most often impact those who cannot afford an attorney to help. Heir property is an area where legal services providers may not have deep expertise. This project is developed in partnership with three NC legal services organizations: Legal Aid of North Carolina, Pisgah Legal Services, and Land Loss Prevention Project. As a section, we will create a clearinghouse of pro bono volunteers to assist legal services clients with their property issues. Anticipated areas of legal service needs are general real property law, title searching, genealogy/heir research, estate administration/probate, help with real estate closings/refinance, partitions, business formation for heirs who wish to create a family business interest to vest their property, foreclosure defense, and estate planning as a preventative measure. The project serves individuals who are generally low income, limited English proficient, seniors, and/or rural residents, and their families. The project has been approved by the NCBA Pro Bono Committee and will operate with support from the NC Bar Foundation pro bono programs staff.
To learn more about the needs of each of the legal services organizations and to sign up as an interested volunteer, visit the Heir Property Pro Bono Project website. Both limited service and extended service opportunities are available through this project. Volunteers are covered by malpractice insurance provided by the legal services organization or the NC Bar Foundation.
The project website also includes a recording of the Lunch and Learn session held on August 2. If you could not attend the live training on August 2, access the recording and PowerPoint available on the project’s website. We anticipate that we will continue to build upon the training library adding recordings of trainings and other helpful resources.
The success of this project depends on volunteers like you. I hope you will join me in assisting these legal services organizations as they work to improve the lives of their clients experiencing heir property issues.
Questions? Email [email protected].