Free legal clinic aids NC small businesses, nonprofits affected by COVID-19

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Small businesses and nonprofits in North Carolina with 25 employees or less impacted by COVID-19 can now get answers to legal issues they're experiencing for free thanks to a nonprofit remote legal clinic.

The N.C. Pro Bono Resource Center has partnered with law firms across the state and the nonprofit group, Lawyers for Good Government Foundation, to offer a remote legal clinic for pro bono legal consultations. Businesses are matched with an attorney who provides 45 minutes of free, confidential legal advice for issues dealing with the coronavirus crisis and small business.

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"There are over 890,000 small businesses in North Carolina, and they're trying to navigate all of these legal issues that have come up," explained Sylvia Novinsky, an attorney and Director of the N.C. Pro Bono Resource Center.

Those businesses can now take advantage of a free clinic to help navigate the crisis, all businesses have to due is complete a short screening form to be matched with a suitable lawyer.

"So for example, how to navigate the federal loans and grants that are available to them through the CARES Act. What do they do with their commercial leases, what do they do with employment issues that come up or business contracts and insurance issues. If they have questions about bankruptcy or dissolution issues. Those are all things that are coming up and so we're getting lots of different questions," Novinsky added.

To apply for a pro bono legal consultation click here.

"These effects are going to be devastating but it's really important to provide people education and resources."