The Middle District of Florida Bankruptcy Pro Se Assistance Clinic is a nonprofit organization comprised of attorney member volunteers. The Clinic works in collaboration with other legal organizations to provide unrepresented individuals access to legal assistance in all divisions of the Middle District of Florida. The Clinic is funded by the Bench Bar Committee of the Middle District of Florida, the Central Florida Bankruptcy Law Association, the American College of Bankruptcy Foundation and the Bankruptcy Law Educational Series Foundation among others.
This effort was put together in 2011 by the local bankruptcy bar associations with the support of members of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida.
The central mission of the Clinic is to provide valuable legal resources which address unmet needs in the community, with a focus on the Middle District of Florida, and to establish a pattern for future professional involvement in service to the community and to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
The Bankruptcy Pro Se Assistance Clinic was formed to provide legal advice to low income debtors and creditors who would otherwise not have access to such legal assistance. The Clinic serves three main purposes: (i) to offer legal assistance to debtors that have either already filed bankruptcy without a lawyer or who are considering filing bankruptcy and intend to represent themselves, (ii) to offer legal assistance to unrepresented creditors in a bankruptcy proceeding, and (iii) to ensure that anyone interested in representation has the resources necessary to contact and potentially hire a qualified bankruptcy lawyer.
In addition to serving the public and the Court, the Bankruptcy Pro Se Assistance Clinic is a means to serve the community, train new bankruptcy professionals about personal bankruptcy law, and to assist the Court with explaining the bankruptcy process to pro se debtors and creditors. This saves time during Court hearings, prevents unnecessary filings and contested matters and reduces the burden on the Clerk’s Office staff and Intake personnel.
Our volunteers are committed to assisting the public who find themselves challenged by the basic legal questions of the adversary process and cannot afford to hire a lawyer. The entire bankruptcy bench, bar and community benefit immensely with limited expense compared to the services provided.