CBA Record September-October 2023

PRO BONO WEEK 2023 – GETTING PERSONAL WITH PRO BONO

to CDEL for help getting guardianship of her adult son. Maxine has limited tech nical resources, so she and her son came to CDEL’s offices for help joining Zoom court. Shortly before the hearing date, Maxine called to tell me that her son was in the hospital, so he wouldn’t be able to attend the hearing. Maxine also said the hospital staff didn’t want to communicate with her because she wasn’t her son’s legal guardian. After conferring with Cheryl and Maxine, we decided to petition for temporary guardianship, so Maxine would have the authority to communicate with the hospital while we waited for her son’s discharge and a future hearing date. Maxine joined me at CDEL’s office for the Zoom hearing. Temporary guardian ship was granted. Later, at a rescheduled hearing where Maxine and her son were both able to join Zoom court, Maxine was granted permanent guardianship. Uncontested guardianships aren’t that difficult, but the process can be intimidat ing for someone who hasn’t done it before. Considering the obstacles in Maxine’s situ ation, I’m glad that CDEL and I were able to help her navigate the process. While my pro bono placement officially ended many months ago, I continue to volunteer with CDEL because I appreciate the oppor tunity to assist a worthy organization in helping under-resourced clients access and navigate our legal system.

of his caregivers. Once he turned 18, I started running into roadblocks because I was not his guardian. My son’s case man ager knew about CDEL and said I should reach out to them. I was matched with attorney Stacia Frens to help me. It was so great work ing with her. Stacia explained things to me that I had difficulty understanding. She helped me with technology, which I would not have been able to use on my own. The guardianship process is con fusing, and she helped me understand difficult things about the guardianship proceedings. I could not have accom plished the guardianship without Stacia’s timely support and assistance. When my son couldn’t attend the guardianship hearing, we were able to appear before the judge and complete temporary guardianship and later obtain full guardianship. When I appeared in front of the judge, I felt total relief know ing this would finally be done. Having Stacia with me made me feel confident; she explained things in a way that I could easily understand. CDEL and Stacia took the time to explain everything and helped me with all the technology needed to complete the guardianship process. Becoming my son’s guardian is very important to me. Before the guardianship order was issued, the organization and folks who take care of my son refused to talk to me about my son’s progress and well-being. Now they are receptive and communicative to me and keep me informed and are will ing to take my calls when I want to know how my son is doing.

Stacia Frens Attorney, Frens Elder Law & Estate Planning, LLC

I connected with the Center for Disabil ity and Elder Law through the Chicago Bar Foundation’s Justice Entrepreneurs Project. I was eager to gain some experi ence on guardianship cases, since that is part of my estate planning practice area for my new law firm. Cheryl Lipton, CDEL’s Pro Bono Coordinator and a Senior Attorney in their guardian ship practice, trained and mentored me through numerous cases. While most of them proceeded smoothly—handling paperwork and appearing at one hear ing—a few cases required more work. I learned that even a simple case can have complications, and having an attorney can make such a difference in successfully completing a legal service. This is why pro bono work is so important. People who are otherwise unable to afford an attorney or do not have resources can get quality representation for free. Maxine was one such client. She came

Maxine CDEL Pro Bono Client

My son has had a disability his whole life, and for his whole life, I have been one

Want to get start getting personal with your pro bono? Reach out to the organizations that shared their stories to get involved: l To volunteer with the Center for Elder and Disability Law, contact Senior Attorney for Pro Bono Cheryl Lipton at clipton@cdelaw.org or visit their website at www.cdelaw.org/volunteer. l To volunteer with Chicago Volunteer Legal Services, sign up for a New Volunteer Orientation on Zoom at www.cvls.org/volunteer/new-volunteer-orientation.

l To volunteer with Cabrini Green Legal Aid, contact Staff Attorney Andrea Hyfantis at AndreaHyfantis@cgla.net.

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