Legal service for low-to-middle income families expands to Miami - KOAM TV 7

Legal service for low-to-middle income families expands to Miami, Okla

Discounted legal service is now available for some families in Northeast Oklahoma.

A Miami, Oklahoma non-profit hopes to ease the burden of legal costs.

Wayne Kennon is one of many attorneys in his state that participates in Oklahoma Attorney Resources, or AOR.  The nonprofit provides legal assistance for low to middle income working families who need help.

"I like it because it allows me to do what I like to do, because Ii like to practice family law, but let's face it, this is a business and I have bills to pay," says Kennon.

He and other lawyers working with OAR work at a discounted rate.  Their OAR clients pay on a sliding scale of what they can afford.

According to OAR, they target the working poor and aim to fill the gap between legal aid and private attorneys.

Despite being around since 1998 most people we talked to hadn't heard of the opportunity, but they did stand behind the concept.

Cost is a big factor in legal cases, something a lot of families simply can not afford and is why the Tulsa based nonprofit chose to expand its services to 50 Oklahoma counties, including Ottawa County.

"We had been getting calls from Ottawa County and we began an expansion project for people who have this need," says OAR administrator, Steve Henderson.

AOR prescreens all of its clients to make sure the need is there.  They say their discount rate and monthly payment issue allows many Oklahomans quality representation they otherwise would not have access to.

The nonprofit says statewide it gets about 60 calls for legal representation every day.

The group says it routinely helps with legal issues ranging from divorce, child custody and support.