Volunteer attorneys see increase in need for services related to workers’ rights

MARYLAND – The Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service says it’s seen an increase in the number of cases its lawyers are accepting during the pandemic.

MVLS aims to connect residents who can’t afford an attorney with a volunteer attorney. In the month of April the Eastern Shore saw an increase in the following kinds of cases: bankruptcy, criminal record expungement, child custody, tax and tax sale as well as estate planning. Overall, they’ve seen more employment related calls specifically related to the rights that workers have.

“Our poultry plants are undergoing a major crisis right now with hundreds of individuals who have been employed in the poultry industry which has been inflicted with the coronavirus. So what their rights are, whether or not they can quit or continue,” says Fran Starkey, a volunteer attorney with MVLS.

MVLS is also reporting an increase in calls related to domestic violence which many courts will still hear since that is considered an emergency matter.

If you need legal services but can’t afford an attorney, you can visit MVLSLaw.org.