Helen Nowlin, of Educational Family Estate Apps, talks about her business directed towards people who cannot afford legal services on Friday afternoon at her home office in Glenoma.
Helen Nowlin, of Educational Family Estate Apps, talks about her experience in the legal sector on Friday afternoon.
For many Americans, standing up for their rights in a civil court proceeding is made much more difficult by a general lack of understanding of the complicated processes, and by an inability to pay for legal counsel to help.
“I consider it a social justice matter,” Glenoma attorney Helen Nowlin said.
Nowlin, in order to provide legal information at a lower price on a variety of civil legal topics, has produced guides for her business, Educational Family Apps, LLC, and website, educationalfamilyestateapps.com.
They include the “Affordable Guide About Estate Planning and Child Protection” and the “Legal Guide on American Indian Probate Reform Act.”
“Knowledge is power. Education is empowerment,” she said.
Nowlin has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington. She got her legal degree from Gonzaga University, and received a master’s degree in law from George Washington University.
Nowlin’s website also provides access to guest writers on similar topics. A year subscription costs $69, or each individual guide can be purchased for $30. Nowlin said she wanted her prices to be affordable for the average family, compared to the average of $285 per hour she said many attorneys charge for the same information.
“It took me three years to pull together the guides,” Nowlin said, adding that she plans to add more guides in the future. “People will find a lot of value in this because I did a great deal of research.”
While court-appointed counsel is available in criminal cases, people needing legal advice in civil cases need to find a way to pay for an attorney, despite their financial situation.
“Who can afford it?” Nowlin said.
In Nowlin’s opinion, being forced to navigate the civil court system without an attorney because of an inability to hire one puts individuals at a significant disadvantage.
“You can’t really utilize your rights … if you can’t afford it,” she said.
Only about 25 percent of people have engaged in estate planning, she said.
Nowlin hopes to provide information about common civil legal processes, such as probate and estate law, at a lower cost to help educate the public about these processes.
Nowlin is also passionate about informing people about the Indian Child Welfare Act, and encouraging families to set up voluntary legal guardianship agreements to keep children out of the foster care system if possible. The agreements can designate an alternate guardian if a parent is unable to care for their child, she said.
“Every parent, whether they’re native or non-native can benefit from understanding how voluntary legal guardianship can benefit them or their families,” she said.
Nowlin herself was once in the foster care system.
“I was one of the lucky few who wound up getting into a better home than I would have otherwise,” she said.
At the least, Nowlin said her guides can give families a better understanding of the legal processes they must navigate regarding estates, probate and family law.
