The Lawyer Referral Service of Central Texas administers the Match Program. The program provides reduced-fee legal services to those with a modest income who may not be able to afford regular legal fees. The Match Program is currently available for family law matters, guardianship cases, and drafting simple wills.
A Lawyer Referral Service telephone intake counselor will screen applicant to determine if he/she qualifies under the Match Program income guidelines and to explain the legal fees involved. Applicant must be prepared to provide income information from all sources. If applicant is referred to a lawyer, that lawyer will further screen applicant during the initial consultation or meeting to determine if he/she qualifies. The lawyer is under no obligation to accept applicant's case, and applicant has no obligation to hire him/her.
If applicant does not qualify for the Match Program, we will try to refer applicant to another community service agency or legal services provider who may be able to assist him/her.
Applicant will be charged a $20.00 fee, a consultation fee, for the first 30-minute meeting with the lawyer. Applicant will explain his/her situation and the lawyer will explain potential costs. Consider the first consultation a mutual interview--applicant explains what he/she needs to have done and the lawyer will evaluate the next steps and explain legal fees. This is a time for applicant to evaluate his/her situation.
Match Program lawyers charge for all legal work done. This is not a free service. If applicant decides to hire the lawyer for representation, he/she will require a deposit in advance--a retainer. The retainer is a deposit the lawyer requests in order to begin working on applicant's case. The amount of the retainer will depend on the complexity of the case.