Got A Legal Issue? Call A Lawyer For Free This Weekend

(CBS) -- Chicagoans can pick up the phone for free legal advice this weekend.

Attorneys with the Chicago Bar Association's "Call-A-Lawyer" program will be taking calls on Saturday Dec. 20 from 9 a.m. to noon at no cost.

Anyone can call (312) 554-2001 to speak with an attorney about any legal question or issue.

"This is just a great opportunity to spend a few minutes with a lawyer if you just have a legal question or just want to get some advice or where to turn to," Brenda Ott, director of the lawyer referral, tells WBBM Newsradio.

"It can be everything from somebody calling in saying, 'My neighbor's tree is encroaching on my property. What can I do?' or 'I think I might need a will or an estate plan, who do I talk to?'  Anything like that," Ott says.

Callers may explain their situations to an attorney who will then suggest self-help strategies to resolve their legal issues. If callers need further legal services, they will be advised to see their own attorney. Or, if they wish to hire a lawyer, they can go through the CBA Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) and pay a $30 fee.

"I do want to emphasize for the Saturday program to call in there's no fee for that," Ott says.

The LRS has over 300 pre-screened, qualified lawyers experienced in almost every area of law.