Making the Referral Client Contacts LRIS Clients receive referrals from LRIS by calling the intake line at (865) 522-7501 or by submitting a request at www.knoxbar.org. Our staff interviews each caller and decides whether a referral is appropriate. Our staff are not attorneys and cannot judge the merits of a case. As long as the circumstances have a rational appearance of a potential fee-generating case, we make the referral. We also refer callers to many community resources including agencies such as Legal Aid of East Tennessee and www.justiceforallTN.org
LRIS is not pro bono; callers not suited for referral are referred to agencies as appropriate. Most clients request, and prefer, the free telephone consultation. However, some may prefer to be seen in the office. • Phone consultations: The client is informed that phone consultations will last approximately 10-15 minutes. They are advised to be ready with any questions when they phone your office. If you are unavailable at the time of the client’s call and they leave a message, we ask that you return the call within 48 hours. LRIS generally provides one referral for phone consultations with the client instructed to contact LRIS should he or she need a second referral. •
In-Office consultations: Clients are instructed to ask for an office appointment at the time of their call. Clients will be asked to bring any important documents and to be prepared with questions they wish to cover. The clients are advised that the consultation will last a maximum of 30 minutes. Once this consultation is completed, the client may contact LRIS for an additional referral if desired.
As part of our public service, please remember that we do not charge the client a fee for the referral or for the consultation time with our members. You will, however, charge your standard fees for any services past the initial consultation.
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