Indigent Status

A Levels Academy Islamabad

Transcript

00:00Court is not cheap, and life's expenses are challenging enough to keep up with.

00:05Even if you're ready to go it alone without an attorney,

00:08the court itself has built-in costs, such as filing fees.

00:12If you find yourself having to go to court but unable to pay these court costs required,

00:17you can apply for special consideration.

00:20To get this consideration, you must qualify for what the court calls indigent status.

00:26Indigent status can grant you exemption or leniency regarding a number of court costs,

00:31but you must prove to the court that you are eligible for such a status first.

00:35To declare, you must first submit a filled-out application

00:38providing certain personal financial details to the court, along with a written motion.

00:43The financial data must include your net income from salary and wages,

00:48additional income such as government benefits, workers' comp, pensions, and outside financial support,

00:54assets like property, bank accounts, stocks, and bonds, as well as any outstanding debts.

01:00You will find this form for free on the LegalYou website,

01:04and if you need help completing the form, LegalYou can do that too.

01:08Once submitted to the clerk, the application will undergo review by the clerk.

01:13If the clerk approves the application, they should immediately file the determination and case records.

01:18If the clerk doesn't approve it, you may ask the court to review the clerk's decision.

01:23Being declared indigent doesn't necessarily eliminate all court fees, however.

01:28Payment plans are often set up according to the litigant's financial situation,

01:32as long as the monthly payment does not exceed 2% of their yearly income.

01:37LegalYou is always there as a resource if you are declaring indigent status,

01:41and to help you make sense of it all.

01:44LegalYou. The key to your courthouse.