People with legal needs flock to the mall

Mortgage debt. Divorce. Old brushes with the law.

People who usually go to The Citadel mall in Colorado Springs to escape their problems went Saturday to do something about them.

They turned out for Ask-a-Lawyer Day, where shoppers were given the opportunity to seek free advice from a panel of Colorado Springs attorneys.

The annual event was held by the El Paso County Bar Association in honor of Law Day, which officially falls on May 1. This year's Law Day events also paid tribute to the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birthday April 7.

Impromptu "clients" made a beeline for the table throughout the day with a host of problems. Some brought in contracts and legal documents.

They asked how to protect their homes while struggling with mortgage payments, and brought in reams of paper laying out child visitation rights. There were wills that needed examining, as well as apartment leases.

For some questions, there was only one responsible piece of advice: Get an attorney.

"We're here to point people in the right direction. The whole point of having an attorney make an evaluation of a case is having a full evaluation," said Dave Webster, of Colorado Springs, who specializes in personal injury and workers compensation.

Still, many other questions required legal savvy but not necessarily attorney-client privilege, and people left pleased and relieved.

One woman learned that her deferred sentence in a criminal matter would not be part of her criminal record if she meets the terms the judge laid out.

"She was elated," said Tomacz Stasiuk, who runs his own firm.
None of the attorneys so much as mentioned "billable hours."

"This is to give back to the community," Webster said.


Call the writer at 636-0366.