Hello Friends of Legal Aid!

This month we're focusing on estate planning - with "Lisa's" story and details of our upcoming free estate planning clinics.

Without free legal representation, Lisa could have lost all equity in her home and possibly become homeless. Through our involvement, Lisa’s rights were honored and she can now enjoy a more stable financial future.

Her story highlights the power of having an attorney on your side in complex legal matters. And just how important it is to have an estate plan in place, so key assets like homes don’t get lost to the family or caught up in lengthy court proceedings.

One of our staff attorneys met “Lisa” at a local court’s eviction docket and quickly realized her legal issues were more complicated than at first appeared.

Lisa inherited a home from her parents, but before she could get the mortgage transferred to her name, the bank foreclosed on the property and put it up for sale.

Then Lisa was targeted by a company that tricked her into signing away the home via a quitclaim deed for a mere $1,000 and proceeded to evict her.

We agreed to represent Lisa and advocate for her legal rights. We worked to get the eviction case dismissed and reach a settlement with the company that now owned the house. Finally, we pursued the foreclosure scammers for Lisa's rightful equity in the home. We won $60,000 for Lisa. Lisa, who by this point had found other housing and was more than happy with the outcome!

At these free clinics, we share important information about estate planning. Eligible participants can also meet with an attorney to discuss their family's needs.

Help us spread the word about our upcoming clinics!

• Wed June 24, 4pm - Kalamazoo Public Library, Central Branch
• Wed July 22, 5pm - Roosevelt Park Ministries, Grand Rapids
• Wed Aug 5, 10am - Allegan County Courthouse

Registering in advance helps us pre-screen for eligibility, so more people can get an attorney consultation on the day.

Click the links below to download and share the flyers!

6/24 Kalamazoo: English

6/24 Kalamazoo: Spanish

7/22 Grand Rapids: English

7/22 Grand Rapids: Spanish

8/5 Allegan: English

8/5 Allegan: Spanish

Big thanks to the panelists, volunteer attorneys, and host venues of our recent clinics in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Holland, and St. Joseph! It was great to connect with community members who came out to learn about estate planning and get free legal help.

We're delighted to have our 2026 summer law clerks with us!

Pictured, from left to right are: Jonathan Mouw (MSU), Breanna Sterzick (MSU), Cassidy Lynn (Wayne State), and Joseph Reilly (Notre Dame). We're so glad you chose to spend your summer working with us at LAWM! 🙌🏼😀⚖️

St. Joseph

(Berrien County)

901 Port St

St. Joseph, MI 49085

Our supporting funders include: