Debtor/Creditor Volunteering
Phone Advice
- Time Commitment: 2-hour shift
- Service Level: Advice only
- Experience Required? Yes
- Description: VLN schedules 4-6 clients for the volunteer to call during a monthly phone advice shift. Volunteer attorney provides client with guidance on the consequences of stopping credit card payments, what to expect if they are sued, exemptions they may claim if facing garnishment after a judgment, and how to address unfair or abusive debt collection practices and credit reporting errors.
Letters to Creditors
- Time Commitment: 2-20 hours
- Service Level: Brief Services to Extended/Full Rep, depending on commitment made by the attorney.
- Experience Required? No
- Description: Volunteer attorneys write letters to stop harassing collection phone calls and letters to a client with exempt income and/or income needed to meet basic living needs. The service includes an initial consult with the client, drafting and sending the letters, handling any resulting follow up contacts from creditors, sending out new letters if a new collection agency takes over or the debt is sold to a new debt buyer, and counseling clients on their debt questions. Attorneys are asked to stay on these cases a minimum of six months, but even longer (such as 1-1.5 years) is even more beneficial to the clients. Attorneys are not expected to represent in any debt collection lawsuits but can do so if they choose.
Publicly-available volunteering resources for our debtor/creditor law program are in development. For questions and requests, contact our Bankruptcy Program Manager.
