Indy Lawyers Offer Free Legal Advice For Furloughed Federal Workers

A group of attorneys in Indianapolis Tuesday offered free legal advice to federal workers affected by the government shutdown.

Meredith Theisen from the law firm Rubin and Levin says the length of the shutdown – it’s now lasted more than a month – prompted the Indianapolis Bar Association to provide the service.

Theisen says the most common problem workers face is how to handle ongoing debt, like mortgage and car payments.

“The first key advice is communication with their creditors, informing their creditors that they are affected by the government shutdown," Theisen says. "And we find that many creditors are willing to work with them…but who knows how long that they’ll be willing to work with the government workers, as the shutdown goes [on].”

Theisen and other volunteers spent the afternoon taking calls and meeting with furloughed workers at a downtown office. Lawyers were on hand to give advice on bankruptcy, debtors rights, child support and landlord issues.

If the government shutdown continues, Theisen says, they’ll consider offering the service again.