Make an Impact In Someone's Life
West Tennessee Legal Services established a Contract Attorney Program in 2019 that allows private attorneys to take specific cases on a reduced fee payment basis. This program was established by a grant from the Office of Criminal Justice Programs and allowed WTLS to help more Tennesseans who are victims of violent crime, domestic assault, sexual assault, coercive control after separation, and/or stalking by an intimate partner.
Attorneys are sought after to provide legal assistance to victims in post-divorce cases involving contempt issues, enforcement or modification of court orders, including child support and parenting plans.
Additionally, attorneys accepting cases under the program are sought to handle establishment of and modification of parenting plans and support in cases where the victim was not married or where the child is or was the victim, thus necessitating custody to be sought by another family member. In 2021, under a different grant, WTLS expanded the Contract Attorney Program to include Guardian ad Litem appointments and other cases in rural counties.
Attorneys who join this program are paid a reduced fee for their services plus are reimbursed for mileage and approved reasonable expenses.