Coordinated Advice & Referral Program for Legal Srvcs CARPLS

Having worked as a staff attorney at CARPLS for several years I believe that calling CARPLS a "go-between" is simply wrong. The fact is that CARPLS attempts to get people in touch with other legal aid agencies if the clients appear to meet the criteria provided by those agencies, since direct representation is always preferred. However, the fact of the matter is that most clients do not qualify for one reason or another so CARPLS attorneys usually end up giving very detailed advice on how they can represent themselves. CARPLS is usually the last stop for most people as there simply are no other alternatives if you cannot afford a private attorney. The advice while generally limited to a number of key legal areas, is current, to the point, and explained to clients so they can understand their rights and options. It is a great organization that needs continued support as there are just too many people in Cook County who cannot afford to retain an attorney.

CARPLS is really just a legal aid hotline geared towards low income individuals. Certainly, they give some advice and mail out pamphlets on a particular issue but their main focus is steering people towards other organizations in the area.

So, if someone calls about a divorce, they'll tell the client if it's something simple that they can do themselves or if it needs the services of an attorney and which organization can give them free or almost-free service. They don't actually provide any services as such.