The Dial-A-Lawyer program was held at Western New England College.
Lawyers participate in Dial-A-Lawyer program.SPRINGFIELD – Elizabeth D. Katz, a lawyer with Ostrander Law Office of Northampton, said she volunteers with the Massachusetts Bar Association’s semiannual Dial-A-Lawyer call-in program because she finds it personally rewarding.
Lawyers through the program answered a steady barrage of calls Wednesday during the four-hour program held at the Blake Law Center at Western New England College.
The program is co-sponsored by Western New England College School of Law, The Republican, El Pueblo Latino, the Massachusetts Association of Hispanic Attorneys and the Hispanic National Bar Association.
The program gives residents of Western Massachusetts the opportunity to call in for free legal advice. Residents from Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire Counties can call in to talk to a volunteer lawyer.
Elizabeth O’Neil, director of public services for the Massachusetts Bar Association, said that recent calls have dealt with the economy, including bankruptcies and foreclosures, and family law.
“Many people who call in already know the right answer,” Katz said. “They are smart people. They are looking for confirmation.”
Bankruptcy law questions to which people may not know the correct answer are that if they file for bankruptcy they will not automatically lose their house, she said.
Other people ask whether they will ever be able to get credit again if they file for bankruptcy. Katz said a bankruptcy stays on a person’s credit history for 10 years, but credit usually is restored in two to three years.
Usually, a person can get credit earlier, but the interest rates aren’t so good, Katz said.
Lawyer referral services are available for Hampden, Hampshire, Berkshire and Franklin Counties. The service provides a free initial half hour consultation and a lawyer referral if needed, she said.
During Wednesday’s session, 29 volunteers fielded 317 calls, O’Neil said.