Frequently Asked Questions from Volunteer Lawyers

How does Missouri.FreeLegalAnswers.org work?

Watch an instructional video for lawyers to introduce you to how the site works.

Missouri.FreeLegalAnswers.org is based on the walk-in clinic or dial-a-lawyer model where clients request brief advice and counsel about a specific civil legal issue from a volunteer lawyer. Lawyers provide information and basic legal advice without any expectation of long-term representation.

Users who meet eligibility (see eligibility below) sign the user agreement, create a username and password, post a request for legal advice or information and provide facts about their case that will help the lawyer answer the question. Users will be asked to select a category (such as “Family/Divorce” or “Debts/Purchases”) that best describes their question. The lawyer may ask for additional information before responding to the user’s request, but the user will have a choice to respond to that request or not.  Users’ names and counties will be shared with the volunteer lawyer but no other identifying information will be given unless a user chooses to provide more. Users are informed that there is no guarantee that a question will be answered. If a question is not answered within 30 days, the user will receive an email from the website administrator instructing them to seek assistance elsewhere. The user will also be provided with a list of additional resources.

Who is eligible to use Missouri.FreeLegalAnswers.org?

Eligibility for use of Missouri.FreeLegalAnswers.org is limited to the following:

• The user must have household income less than 250 percent of the federal poverty level (unless your state required a different amount);
• The user may not have liquid assets exceeding $5,000 in value (this includes checking and savings account balances, as well as the value of any stocks or bonds);
• The user may not be incarcerated;
• The user may not request assistance with criminal law matters.

Users must provide their name, county, and zip code in order to request advice.

Users agree to post no more than three legal questions per year on three different topics. They can follow-up with a lawyer on each question as many times as the lawyer and user choose to do so.

How do I sign up to volunteer for Missouri.FreeLegalAnswers.org?

Lawyers who would like to participate must:

• create a username and password,
• provide contact information and their bar number,
• sign the lawyer user agreement; and
• request approval from the website administrator.

Before the lawyer’s account is activated, the website administrator checks to ensure the lawyer is licensed in Missouri and is in good standing with the Supreme Court of Missouri. Once a lawyer has been approved by the website administrator, the lawyer receives an email notification and can begin answering user questions.

Do I get to pick which questions I want to answer on Missouri.FreeLegalAnswers.org?

Yes. Lawyers may log in at any time to review a list of user questions and select the one(s) they want to answer. Lawyers will use the categories provided by the user (such as “Family/Divorce” or “Debts/Purchases”) to help determine which questions they would like to answer. A lawyer will have the opportunity to read the full question before deciding to take it from the list and answer it. Once a lawyer takes a question from the list, the lawyer has three days to answer it or it will automatically be returned to the question queue.  Lawyers will be allowed to ask follow up questions if they need additional information in order to answer the user’s question.

How do I navigate the website?

When your account has been approved by the website administrator, you will receive a notification email. To get started you will go to Missouri.FreeLegalAnswers.org and select “Sign In” at the top right side of your screen. After you enter your username (which is your email address) and password, you will automatically be directed to a page that lists all the questions that have been posted for lawyers to answer.

You may notice that some of the questions are coded by flags. These flags let you know how long each question has been in the queue. Questions with red-outline flags are those that have been posted for more than 10 days.  Questions with filled-in red flags are questions that have been in the queue for at least 25 days and will be closed if no lawyer is able to answer them. Questions that are not answered within 30 days will be closed and the client will be notified.

You have three ways in which to view questions in the queue:

1. You can view a list of all the questions in the queue; this is the default view.
2. You can view a list of questions that have been in the queue for 25 days or longer by clicking on the “Importance” option under the "Sort" button.
3. You can view questions by legal categories by clicking on the “Filter” button. 
4. You can easily view any question you have taken to answer by clicking "Home" on the menu and looking at questions in your personal queue.

The client is asked to use the Subject Line to tell you, in their own words, what the question is about (for example, “eviction,” “divorce,” “bankruptcy,” etc.). The Category and Subject functions are tools to help lawyers quickly decide which questions they would like to review and answer.

How do I select questions I want to answer?

You can read the first few lines of each posted question by clicking the "Preview" button.

• If you decide you want to see more details of the question, click the subject to be taken to the question detail page.
• When you have found a question you’d like to answer, click the “I want to answer this question” button on the bottom of the question detail page.
• If you eventually decide you do not want to take a question you can click the "I want to return this question" to send it back to the full queue.
• You can also decide if you want to answer a question immediately by clicking "Answer Now" or answer the question later by clicking "Answer Later".

Please respond within three days of taking a question. If you fail to respond within three days, the question will automatically be moved back into the queue.

Once you have taken the question, you will be able to reply to the client and provide an answer or ask follow-up questions. The client will not know your identity unless you choose to provide it. If you ask the client a question, you will receive an email when the client responds and a prompt to log back into the website to respond.

How do I subscribe to a question category?

If your area of practice is specialized and you only want to answer certain types of questions, you can subscribe to a category or questions and receive an email notification each time a question in that particular category is posted.

To subscribe to a category or questions (for example, Immigration):

• Click on the “Manage Subscriptions” tab at the top of the screen.
• Scroll down to the category you are interested in and click on the red circle.
• When the red circle changes to a check mark, you have successfully subscribed to that Category.
• You may also choose where you want to get subscription emails.
• To change it from your username email, click on your email address next to the green check and enter your different email address.
• Click the save icon to save your email address.
• You can unsubscribe at any time.

Are there any tips for responding to questions?

Here are some things to keep in mind as you draft your response:

1. Remember that many of the people using the service are often in the midst of the worst experiences of their lives and simple steps, such as beginning an email response with "Hi John," including an empathetic or encouraging message such as "this sounds stressful" or "this isn't too complicated, I can help you with this" or "I know this is a trying time for you and your family" can go a long way in reassuring the client that someone is listening to their concerns and can provide them with good advice.
2. Feel free to engage in a dialogue with the client concerning their question so that you can determine if the matter involves an actual legal issue, while using short sentences and avoiding legalese to make your responses as easy to understand as possible.
3. Inform the user about the appropriate state and/or federal law that applies to their situation, and include appropriate links to the information or paste the information into your response. 
4. Suggest multiple options, if possible, regarding how the client may proceed to resolve the matter. 
5. Share appropriate links to websites, phone numbers or other applicable resources available for organizations/services where they might receive additional assistance, such as those listed at https://missouri.freelegalanswers.org/OtherHelp, including the pro se forms available on the Missouri State Courts website. You can also refer clients to Legal Services of Missouri if you feel this is applicable, or to other state agencies when appropriate, like the Family Support Division. 
6. Be sure to let the client know it's OK to write back if they have follow up questions.
7. If the client is involved in a situation where they need legal representation beyond the limited scope of this forum, it is ok to point that out after answering their initial question(s).  If the client has a family law issue and has indicated that they do not feel they can afford to hire an attorney to resolve the matter then another option for them may be to hire an attorney for limited scope representation.  The Lawyer Search feature at http://www.mobar.org/LawyerSearch.aspx allows the public to search for family law attorneys who will provide limited scope representation.  More information regarding limited scope representation is available at https://missouri.freelegalanswers.org/OtherHelp.  
8. If you feel comfortable closing your response using your first name, that's fine. It is not required or even encouraged, but it does give a more personal touch. However, if you don't want to include your name then a simple "Best wishes," "Please right back if you have more questions" or "I wish you the best of luck with this matter" is a good way to close a response. 

What happens if I can’t answer a user’s question?

Lawyers have access to a listing of relevant resources and guides on various areas of substantive law to assist them answer questions at https://missouri.freelegalanswers.org/TrainingResources.   Please contact the site administrator at freelegalanswers@mobar.org to share any resources or quick links you believe would be useful to volunteer lawyers.

However, a lawyer might be unable to answer a user’s question for a number of reasons. Some examples might be a conflict of interest, user’s failure to respond to lawyer requests for additional information or the question is determined to fall outside the lawyer’s area of expertise. If a lawyer determines that (s)he cannot answer a question, the lawyer may place the question back into the queue so that another volunteer lawyer may try to assist the user. If a lawyer takes a question and doesn't respond within three days, the question will automatically return to the open questions queue.

If there is a question submitted by a client that is unclear or does not include a legal question to be answered, please do not close these out.  You may respond and ask the client for additional information or to clarify what legal question they would like answered.  Or, you may notify the site administrator to review the question and it may be closed or withdrawn as deemed appropriate.

Is my name shared with those when I answer a question?

The lawyer’s identity is not revealed to the user unless the lawyer decides to do so. Once a lawyer answers a question, the user will be asked to accept the answer or send a follow up question to the lawyer.

Do I need to close out Questions?

Volunteer attorneys can close out client questions after submitting a response; however, this should be done only if the client has had the opportunity to respond as they may need additional clarification.  Try to allow at least 24 hours after submitting a response before closing out the dialogue.  

Client questions will automatically be closed out after 10 days if no follow-up replies have been posted by either the client or the attorney.  Thus, you don't need to be concerned about leaving a question open after responding. After the 10 days, the client will receive an email notice that the question has been closed.  The attorney who accepted the question will be notified before the question auto closes.  The notification will be emailed on day 9 of no activity.  If the question remains inactive, it will auto close on day 10.

The site administrator manually closes out Client questions that are more than 25 days old and have not been selected by a volunteer for a response.  A list of all pending questions is included in weekly email updates noting those that are 25 days old or more.  Then the following week if the questions have not been selected for response, the administrator closes them out and notifies the client by email that their question has been closed.  In this case, closing out the question will not count toward the 3 questions the client is allowed.

Will there be a log of the questions I answer?

Yes. Lawyers will be able to view a log of questions they have answered.  You can also track your Missouri Free Legal Answers pro bono hours by logging into Missouri.FreeLegalAnswers.org and click on "Log My Hours".  In the box provided, enter the number of hours you spend that day researching and answering legal questions through the website, then click to submit and the hours are recorded in the system.  You can "Search Your Hours" to learn how many hours you have recorded for a certain timeframe. 

Will I be recognized for my pro bono hours?

Lawyers who participate in the voluntary reporting of hours and who report 40 hours or more of pro bono service for the calendar year will receive special recognition, including a spot on that year's annual Missouri Bar Pro Bono Wall of Fame.  You may report your pro bono hours Online at http://www.mobarprobono.org/Reporting/Login.aspx.

Will I earn CLE credit?

No. Currently in Missouri, lawyers cannot earn MCLE for their pro bono service. However, lawyers are encouraged to provide pro bono services to persons of limited means or to public service or charitable groups or organizations. The Missouri Bar recognizes lawyers who provide pro bono service, and provides resources to make it easier for lawyers to identify pro bono opportunities here.

What kinds of lawyers should volunteer?

All lawyers are welcome! While there are certain types of legal questions that regularly come up, lawyers are needed with different areas of expertise and practice to volunteer. The website will appeal to lawyers who want to give back but have been unable to participate in traditional pro bono work due to family obligations, schedule or geographic location.

What type of relationship exists between the client and lawyer?

When a user submits a question and receives an answer from a lawyer, there will be a lawyer/client relationship formed between that client and the lawyer who responds. That relationship, however, will be limited in scope and duration as described in the user agreements for both users and lawyers. The representation will be limited to providing an answer to the legal question and will not involve any continuing representation of the client beyond the act of providing such an answer. The lawyer will provide short-term, limited legal services to a client (the eligible user of this site) without expectation by either the lawyer or the client (the eligible user of this site) that the lawyer will provide continuing representation in the matter. Both the eligible users and lawyers must consent to the limited nature of this relationship both as to scope and duration as indicated when they accept the terms of the user agreement. Eligible users and lawyers who do not accept the terms of the user agreement will not be allowed access to the site.

How do I check for conflicts of interest?

Under Missouri Rules of Professional Conduct 4-1.2(c) and 4-6.5, the general rules for lawyers as to conflicts of interest do not apply to participation in Missouri.FreeLegalAnswers.org. This is because of the pro bono nature of the limited scope representation and because of the involvement of the American Bar Association, a non-profit organization, as the site administrator. The only conflicts of interest that would preclude a lawyer from answering a question for an eligible user of Missouri.FreeLegalAnswers.org are conflicts of interest that the lawyer actually knows of at the time that they view a client’s question. The user’s name is provided to the lawyer so that the lawyer can make sure not to answer the question if the lawyer recognizes from the name that a conflict of interest exists. This does mean that the possibility exists, and the clients agree that they understand, that a lawyer who answers a question, or another lawyer with whom they practice in a firm, may actually be representing other parties with an interest in the question.

What about professional liability insurance coverage?

Volunteer lawyers who provide brief advice and counsel via the website will be covered by professional liability insurance maintained by the American Bar Association (ABA). If an issue of malpractice arises, the ABA can trace each answered question back to the lawyer who answered it. The ABA may have to contact lawyers participating in the program from time to time related to this insurance coverage.

Is there a confidentiality issue with client information/lawyer advice being housed on the internet?

This site is designed to ensure client privacy. Only the user’s name, county where they reside and opposing party information (if applicable) is shared with the volunteer lawyer unless the user chooses to provide additional information. Client requests for information and the response of the volunteer lawyer will be maintained in a database for review by the Missouri website administrator to measure the effectiveness of this program. Steps will be taken to maintain the security of this database and it will only be utilized by the administrator but an absolute guarantee of security is not possible when using the internet and internet-based systems.

For each visitor to the webpage the web server automatically recognizes only the consumer domain name. This is the information that is collected for statistical purposes.

Aggregate information is collected on the pages which consumers access or visit on this website.

The information collected is used to improve the content of the webpage and is not shared with other organizations for commercial purposes. Information may be disclosed when legally required at the request of government authorities conducting an investigation, to verify or enforce compliance with the policies governing our website and applicable laws or to protect against misuses or unauthorized use of our website.

How do I contact the administrator with a question or concern?

If you have a question or run into a technical problem with the site, you may contact the administrator by emailing the Missouri site administrator at freelegalanswers@mobar.org.

Additionally, if you find an issue with a submitted question, you may send a notice to the site administrator within the system.  You may use the State Administrator Notification feature available when you open the question to report an issue, by selecting the option, "The client did not ask a specific legal question/their question is unclear", or "This question may be a criminal question.", or other options as appropriate.