FAQ

The Clinic provides survivors of family violence and stalking with free attorney representation in protective order cases and related domestic relations cases filed in Athens-Clarke and Oconee Counties. The Clinic also provides free legal advice and consultations to survivors throughout the state on a variety of legal issues. 

In-person clinic services are by appointment only. The address is provided in the appointment confirmation email or text message. If you are interested in an appointment, please contact us.

No.

Any and all information that you provide to the Clinic is confidential.

If you contact the Clinic through this webpage, you will be asked for some basic information regarding your situation. A Clinic staff member will get back to you by phone or email by the end of the business day following the day of your request and will have some additional questions to gather information necessary to evaluate your case and provide you with legal advice.

If you contact the Clinic by phone during business hours, a staff member will complete an intake interview with you. You will be asked for details about your situation as well as additional information such as where you live, the nature of your relationship to the alleged abuser, whether you have children, and basic financial information. The staff member can provide you with immediate advice and may be able to make a preliminary decision on whether or not the Clinic can provide you with representation. 

If you contact the Clinic by email, please provide your full name, contact information, and details of the reason for contacting us. A Clinic staff member will get back to you by the end of the business day following the day we receive your email.

The Clinic provides free representation in Athens-Clarke and Oconee Counties to people who cannot otherwise afford to hire attorneys. Our income guidelines are similar to the Federal Poverty Guidelines, with exceptions made in consideration of individual circumstances and emergency need. Please contact us to discuss your situation.

The Clinic provides free legal advice to anyone who contacts us, regardless of income, and regardless of geographic location.

To see if you qualify for representation from the Clinic, contact us through this webpage (“Contact Us” tab), call during business hours (706-369-6272), or email us at any time (familyjusticeclinic@uga.edu). 

The Clinic can only provide representation to people who qualify financially and whose cases are in Athens-Clarke and Oconee Counties. In addition, the Clinic may have to decline eligible cases due to conflicts or to limited staff availability during University breaks and holidays. Finally, the Clinic reserves the right to decline representation in any case in the sole discretion of the Director. Status as a victim in a criminal prosecution or on a police report does not guarantee representation from the Clinic. 

As part of the University of Georgia, the Clinic cannot provide representation in cases against University of Georgia students (graduate or undergraduate), staff members, or faculty members. 

We are happy to give you legal advice and answer your questions. The Clinic does not provide representation in cases that do not involve domestic violence or stalking; however, we try to provide help to anyone who contacts us. We can also recommend attorneys or organizations who may be able help you, or we can assist you with obtaining and completing the court forms you can use to file without an attorney (“pro se”).

We are happy to give you legal advice and answer your questions. While we cannot provide representation outside of Athens-Clarke and Oconee Counties, we try to provide help to anyone who contacts us. We can also recommend attorneys or organizations who may be able help you, or assist you with obtaining and completing court forms you can use to file without an attorney (“pro se”).

We are a University of Georgia School of Law teaching clinic. Representation is provided by certified second- and third year-law students, supervised by the Clinic Director and Post-Graduate Fellow, both of whom are licensed Georgia attorneys.