Legal Advocacy
AARP Foundation Litigation Legal Review Program
Frequently Asked Questions
- 1. What is the AARP Foundation Litigation Legal Review Program?
- Our legal review program combines the expertise of AARP Foundation Litigation attorneys with experienced private counsel so that the legal claims of many more AARP members can be reviewed than our attorneys could otherwise handle. Private attorneys volunteer to review letters sent to us for review. As a service to AARP members, the experienced private attorney will review your letter to see if there is an issue that might be pursued through a court case.
- 2. Can any legal question or claim be reviewed?
- No. We provide this service on specific legal issues, overall member needs and the availability of volunteer review attorneys.
- Our legal review program complements the services offered by the AARP Legal Services Network (LSN). LSN provides a free short legal consultation and discounted legal services by participating attorneys for AARP members. Learn more about LSN.
- 3. How are volunteer attorneys recruited?
- We recruit our volunteers review attorneys by working with national bar or membership associations, such as the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, or national organizations focused on specific areas of the law, such as consumer issues, who help us recruit among their members or large law firms.
- 4. Is there a charge for this service?
- No. There is no charge for AARP members to have their letter reviewed by an experienced private attorney.
- 5. What information do I need to provide?
- The review process starts with your letter explaining your claim to us in detail. To help the process along, we ask that you provide as much information as possible in your first letter. The volunteer attorney may have enough information in this letter to form an opinion of whether your claim has legal merit. If not, the attorney may contact you and request more information.
- 6. Is the information I provide kept confidential?
- Absolutely. Your information will not be shared with any third party individuals or organizations without your permission.
- 7. If the volunteer review attorney thinks I don't have a good case what will happen?
- We will refer you to other organizations that may be able to help you resolve your issue out of court.
- It is important to understand that not having a good legal claim doesn't mean you don't have a problem or need help; it just means court isn't the right way to resolve your problems or that if you went to court you wouldn't have much chance of winning.
- 8. If the volunteer review attorney thinks I have a good claim what will happen?
- You will get a letter from us stating that your legal claim has merit. The letter will also tell you if your claim can be handled with the further involvement of AARP Foundation Litigation. We stay involved in cases that affect large numbers of AARP members or set an important precedent.
- 9. Do I have to use the volunteer review attorney to represent me in the case?
- Not if you don't want to. You are free to retain the volunteer review attorney to represent you or you can find another attorney. Either way, there is no cost for the review process.
- 10. Will the volunteer review attorney definitely represent me if I have a good claim?
- No. In some situations the volunteer review attorney may think you have a good claim but be unable to represent you. When this happens, the program will refer you to another attorney or you can find another attorney on your own.
- 11. What if the volunteer review attorney says I have a good claim but I don't want to be involved in a lawsuit?
- This is not a problem. Getting involved with a lawsuit is a big decision. There are advantages and disadvantages. Some people who have good claims decide they don't want to get involved in a lawsuit. Others are glad to have a court make a decision. The volunteer review attorney may be able to tell you the pros and cons. Either way, the decision is yours.
- 12. Is there a fee if I decide to pursue my legal claim?
- Fees and payment arrangements are determined on an individual basis between you and the attorney you select to represent you.
- You should make sure you and the attorney discuss fees and come to an agreement you understand and is acceptable to you. After you and the attorney agree on the terms of the legal representation you and the attorney will sign a retainer agreement.
- 13. Are there any other costs?
- Usually there are court filing fees or other costs. Whether or not you will have to pay any of these costs will be worked out between you and the attorney representing you. In some cases, a court will waive some fees for a low income person.
- 14. What if I am unhappy with the referral process or the volunteer review attorney?
- You always have the right to bring any problem, complaint or question to the attention of AARP Foundation Litigation, which will be overseeing the program.