S.C. Legal Services

Rita Roache is a legal aid attorney. She is one of a kind. A beautiful, Classy, Sensational Woman who helped me in 2015 with my custody case. She believed in me and gave me the tough love I needed to be able to break free from, something that was holding me back from being the mother to my daughter, I had always been. I will forever be grateful for this woman. Forever! She’s extremely talented. She works at legal aid because of her extreme passion for helping others. Not because she has to. This woman was Nominated as a Candidate to be. A Charleston County Judge. Unfortunately, she lost. We are in a state and city. Where the color of your skin determines your social status. (Charleston. SC) is where the slave trade began) its history. Unfortunately a horrible part of American History that hasn’t changed much. I pray that this beautiful soul of an attorney gets everything beautiful in life. Thank you Rita. For believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself. Thank you for being the Best attorney I’ve ever known. Thank you for your support and dedication to helping others because your passion is real, just like your legal professionalism and knowledge. You should be proud of yourself! You are amazing! A beautiful African American Queen! ????

Spoke to an attorney today. She spoke down to me and was curt and rude. It was almost like it was a personal affront to her that I would have the audacity to even ask for help. The pro bono folks are much nicer.

I was accepted by legal aid March 2021. I was 6 months in when they switched my attorney. Summer 2021 I was given an attorney from the Charleston office. I reside in Florence. My case is in Horry county. May 2023 we finally had our first hearing. Not only was I not able to use the most important affidavit I had bc of her mistake, she forgot half the stuff she needed at court and no one could hear her. She mumbles. At hearing in May we were given 30 days to have guardian ad litem (GAL for short) it is November and I still don’t have a Gal. So after many calls to supervisors and the situation and her attitude only getting worse after each complaint, I called the bar. Now of course I lost the attorney I had which in my opinion really didn’t matter bc I believe we would still be waiting on her to do her job this time next year. But now legal aid will not help at all. Why am I getting punished for having a sorry attorney who didn’t care about my case or represented me well. Our justice system needs change bc I shouldn’t have to have to be wealthy to receive justice.

Horrible customer service. Just bite the bullet and go to an attorney.

My experience with this “service” has not been great. One Attorney spent roughly about 11 months, give or take, on my case and did absolutely nothing. I requested that a Rule To Show cause be filed on my behalf from the moment she was appointed but I never saw it get done. Then after not being able to reach her after numerous of calls, I found out my file was bounced to another Attorney. That Attorney was appointed only a week before the final hearing with no facts other than when she spoke to the opposing Attorney before even speaking with her own client. I spoke with the manager who was bouncing my file back and forth between these 2 Attorneys. I had questions that they did not want to answer. The assigned Attorney also yelled at me stating that “no one is represented for free.” The manager tried to make it seem as if she said that in reference to the guardian ad litem, which I know is false because I was the one on the phone with her, not the manager. I could go on about my experience however, I will say that I agree with Nefertiti Brown when she stated that their tone is very condescending and I would like to add “nasty nice.” However, I did receive a letter of advice, which lied about me asking them to appeal for me when both attorneys was appointed for the temporary and the final hearing. I never asked them to appeal and never wanted them to. This service is a waste of time, especially when they pretend to represent you while not really representing you. Hire a private Attorney. It may be hard, but you can do it.