Survival Guide for Performers: Highlights

Legal Problems?  No money for a lawyer?   Although "they" say NOT to take the law into your own hands, sometimes it's your best bet.  For other times, there are places where you can get free or low-cost legal assistance. 

Membership Organizations:

Many public organizations offer free legal assistance to their members.  One such group is Working Today.

"Working Today is a national nonprofit membership organization that promotes the interests of people who work independently -- a diverse group that now makes up nearly 30% of the American laborforce. Our members are freelancers, independent contractors, temps, part-timers, contingent workers, and people working from home. " [Ed:   This includes performers!]

"Members are entitled to a free half-hour consultation with an experienced attorney and a 20% discount on any legal work thereafter. Attorneys in the network have expertise in employment law, small business assistance, family law, consumer law, criminal law, bankruptcy, residential real estate, personal injury and other areas.

"The legal service plan is available to members, their spouses and children through a partnership Working Today has developed with the National Resource Center for Consumers of Legal Services." (from the Working Today website)

Visit the Working Today website (http://www.workingtoday.org ) for membership information--don't be shy, its membership fee is very affordable. They also offer very affordable health insurance for free-lance workers.

Do-it-Yourselfers: 

Check out Nolo's Self-Help Law Center for all kinds of info on your rights and how to handle legal problems yourself.

Lawyers for the Arts

Finally,  there's Lawyers for the Arts.  Most states have a non-profit branch of this group.  Below is a partial listing of branches in the U.S.

CA - CT - RI - TX - WashDC