Va. Attorney General to begin pro bon legal services clinics for low income veterans

Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring has announced a partnership with the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) and the Virginia State Bar (VSB) for a series of pro bono Veterans Legal Services Clinics in early March to provide estate planning services to an estimated 100 low-income veterans in the Commonwealth.

March 1-4, 2016, volunteer attorneys from the Office of the Attorney General and the VSB will draft wills, powers of attorney and advance medical directives in Hampton Roads on March 1, Richmond on March 2, Roanoke on March 3, and Northern Virginia on March 4, with more clinics anticipated in the future.

The Attorney General was quoted in a news release as saying, “Veterans are true heroes who, without question, put their lives at risk to protect the freedoms we enjoy as Virginians and Americans. The very least we can do to honor their service to our country is volunteer our time to provide these critical legal services. I’d like to thank the Virginia Department of Veteran Services and the Virginia State Bar for serving as partners in this important effort.”

Attorney General Herring’s clinics will provide qualified veterans and their spouses with simple wills, powers of attorneys, and advance medical directives, including notary services, during the one hour time slots which will be filled on a “first-come, first-served basis.”

In order to be eligible for services, veterans and their spouses must fill out an intake questionnaire on Attorney General Herring’s website or at their local Virginia Department of Veterans Services Benefits Center.

HAMPTON ROADS: Tuesday, March 1, 2016 at - Tidewater Community College - 1428 Cedar Road, Chesapeake, VA 23322
RICHMOND: Wednesday, March 2, 2016 at - J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College - Parham Road Campus, 1651 E Parham Road, Richmond, VA 23228
ROANOKE: Thursday, March 3, 2016 at - Virginia Western Community College - 3094 Colonial Avenue, Roanoke, Virginia 24015
NORTHERN VIRGINIA: Friday, March 4, 2016 at - Northern Virginia Community College - 8333 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA 22003

With more than 750,000 veterans and their families, the Pentagon, and the largest Naval base in the world, Virginia is home to many military members and veterans with unique financial and consumer needs. A Harris Interactive survey found that more than half of Americans do not have wills and estate planning documents like the items offered through the clinic, and with some estimates putting the cost of these documents and services between $500-$1,500, some veterans might be unable to afford these documents.

Additional details including qualifications and sign up links can be found here: ag.virginia.gov/index.php/veteranslegalservices

According to the news release, the attorney general’s office currently employs 26 veterans, guardsmen and guardswomen, and former servicemembers and has made a commitment to hiring more. Attorney General Herring recently earned employer certification through the Virginia Values Veterans (V3) program, an initiative to encourage Virginia employers to implement nationally recognized best practices in recruiting, hiring, and retaining highly-skilled and dependable veterans.

Attorney General Herring is also utilizing his consumer protection section and its enforcement authority to help meet the unique needs of veterans, active duty personnel, and their families.