WISCONSIN JUDICARE, INC.

ELIGIBILITY

You may be eligible for free legal help through Wisconsin Judicare if you:

• Live in one of the 33 northern most counties of Wisconsin (see the map above);
• Meet limits on the value of your property.
• Are a U.S. citizen or an alien lawfully residing in the United States under the color of the law.
• Have low income, as defined as a percentage of the federal poverty guidelines.

HOW TO APPLY FOR JUDICARE

You can apply for Judicare at any time. You need not have a legal problem to apply. To apply, you can either:
1. Complete a Judicare application at your local card-issuing agency;
2. Download a hard copy of the Online Judicare Application;
3. Contact the Judicare office for an application in person;
4. Contact the Judicare office by calling (toll free) 1-800-472-1638 (Voice or TDD) or at 715-842-1681 (Voice or TDD);
5. Contact the Judicare office by e-mail at info@judicare.org
6. Contact the Judicare office by writing to:

Wisconsin Judicare, Inc.
PO Box 6100
Wausau, WI 54402-6100

CASE COVERAGE

Cases involving bankruptcy, social security and SSI, family law, health, housing, income maintenance, wills, and Indian law will be reviewed for approval or denial on an individual basis.

Wisconsin Judicare cannot pay or provide legal services in criminal cases, juvenile matters, fee-generating cases, patents, traffic matters, ordinance violations, and other restricted types of cases. (This is not a complete list of ineligible cases.)

USING YOUR JUDICARE CARD

You must get a Judicare card before you ask a lawyer to handle your case through Judicare. You must show this card to the lawyer on your first visit. You may choose any lawyer in your area, as long as the lawyer will accept Judicare payment. Judicare can provide you with a list of local lawyers who accept Judicare cases. Always ask your lawyer at your first visit whether they will seek Judicare payment for your case. Remember, a lawyer does not have to accept Judicare, and is free to accept some cases under Judicare but not others. Once Judicare approves your case, your lawyer cannot charge you any fee for that work. A lawyer cannot charge you the difference between their usual fee and what Judicare pays. The attorney's fees will be paid by the Judicare office after the case is completed. You may be responsible for costs other than the attorney's fees, like filing fees, service fees, court costs, etc., although Judicare encourages attorneys to ask courts to waive these fees where possible.

Remember to renew your Judicare card prior to the expiration date if you have a pending case. Also, you must notify the Judicare office if your address or your financial situation changes.

Having a Judicare card does NOT guarantee that Judicare will pay an attorney to handle all of your legal problems. Federal law and our own policies limit the kinds of cases we cover.

If you have difficulty getting a Judicare application, or finding a lawyer, or if you have a question or complaint about your Judicare case, contact the Wausau Judicare office. Our staff can help you and answer your questions.

Wisconsin Judicare, Inc.
300 Third Street, Suite 210
PO Box 6100
Wausau, WI 54402-6100
715-842-1681 (Voice or TDD)
800-472-1638 (Voice or TDD)
Fax: 715-848-1885
info@judicare.org