ROCK ISLAND -- Prairie State Legal Services fills a gap without mailing a bill.

Prairie State, with an office in Rock Island that serves Henry, Mercer, Rock Island and Whiteside counties, provides legal representation to the poor.

Many cases the three-attorney agency handles include divorces, custody issues and housing cases. Domestic violence cases have increased in the past few years.

"It is not just people who are unemployed," Gretchen Farwell, managing attorney for the Rock Island office, said. "If we can't provide them with legal assistance, they often go without."

Prairie State has 11 offices that serve 36 counties across northern and central Illinois. The only fees charged are filing costs. Cases are accepted on a number of factors including whether they fall on a priority list. The top two priorities for Prairie State is protecting a client from health and safety risks in a situation with a legal remedy, or ensuring clients are able to meet their basic needs.

Legal assistance for senior citizens who face elder abuse, financial abuse by family members, and Social Security issues, are also on the rise.

"We get many more cases than what we can actually respond to," Ms. Farwell said.

Attorneys charge between $150-$200 per hour, so those on a fixed income who need legal assistance would go without except for Prairie State Legal Services or an attorney provided through the Volunteer Lawyer Project.

"I think in our judicial system, lower income people can't afford private attorneys, so someone has to come in and fill the gap," said Dean Sutton, an East Moline attorney who serves on Prairie State's board and as a volunteer attorney. "It is crucial to our society to have equal access to justice.

"I think as lawyers we are obligated by our ethics code to donate our time every year," he said.

Rock Island County has about 80 attorneys who are active in the Volunteer Lawyer Project, while Whiteside has 17, and Henry County has 15. Mercer County has one attorney who volunteers.

"It is an incredibly valuable service they provide," Ms. Farwell said. "We have had attorneys who have taken contested custody cases and it ends up taking a tremendous amount of time."

When Ms. Farwell started in 1991, the Rock Island Prairie State office had six attorneys, but budget cuts have taken their toll.

Last year, the Campaign for Legal Services, a fundraising campaign for Prairie State, brought in $40,000. The campaign kicked off again this year with a banquet in January attended by Illinois State Bar Association president Robert Downs, a Chicago attorney.

Along with her legal work, Ms. Farwell also writes grant applications in her search for money to fuel the office. She hopes to hire a paralegal in the coming year. "It is a matter of funding."

Anyone who joins the Prairie State will find dedicated employees who do vital work -- and a lot of it.

"It is sometimes overwhelming," Ms. Farwell said, "but it is very rewarding work."

Staff writer Kurt Allemeier can be reached at (309) 786-6441, Ext. 297.