Jay was discouraged. He wanted a divorce, but between his living costs and his car loan payment, there was no way he could maintain a separate household from his spouse. With little income to afford an attorney, Jay decided to attend an LAWO clinic where volunteer attorneys would help answer some basic questions and assist with paperwork he needed to get his divorce. As he was talking with the volunteer attorney, he shared some details that led the attorney to determine Jay had been the victim of a predatory car loan. His attorney discovered that the dealership had taken advantage of Jay’s learning disability and lack of credit to burden him with a 24 percent interest rate. As a result, Jay was paying nearly $300 a month on a 2008 car. With the intervention of his pro bono attorney, Jay was released from the loan and able to return the car. His attorney also assisted Jay in completing the paperwork to finalize his divorce. Jay was very grateful for the donated hours his attorney invested in helping him resolve his legal issues and looking forward to a brighter future.
