For more than 25 years, Lowcountry Legal Volunteers (LLV) has been a beacon of hope for low-income individuals in Beaufort, Jasper, and Hampton counties by providing free legal services. With a dedicated team of attorneys, paralegals, and volunteers, the nonprofit organization has helped thousands of individuals navigate the legal system, ensuring access to justice regardless of financial status.
“We are super excited to celebrate this milestone of being able to provide 25 years of justice to the Lowcountry,” said Anne Caywood, executive director. “We are very thankful to still be going strong all these many years later.”
Founded by Keri Olivetti and Maureen Coffey in 2000, LLV was inspired by the Hilton Head Island Volunteers in Medicine, an organization that engages retired doctors to provide free health care to low-income residents. Caywood said, “Our founders saw what the doctors were doing and thought, ‘Hey, we could do the same, utilizing retired attorneys, paralegals, and administrative folks to serve low-income individuals with legal needs.’”
Since its inception, LLV has provided 62,500 hours of pro bono legal services, valued at nearly $19 million. This has impacted more than 55,000 individuals, changing lives and strengthening the community. In the past year alone, LLV provided almost $3 million in free legal assistance.
Legal services that change lives
LLV focuses on three primary areas of legal assistance: family law, life and future planning, and housing protection. The goal is to remove barriers that prevent individuals from obtaining legal representation.
In the area of family law, the organization offers stability through legal assistance. When family structures are disrupted, LLV helps clients secure that stability through custody matters, child support and parental visitation, in divorce cases (especially those involving minor children), and offers clinics for uncontested divorces (without minor children).
Many individuals only think about future planning when faced with unexpected challenges. LLV helps those affected gain peace of mind by creating durable and health care powers of attorney, preparing simple wills and handling probate matters, and securing guardianship and conservatorship.
Housing is a fundamental necessity, and LLV supports and helps protect tenants by defending against eviction, addressing landlord-tenant disputes, securing the return of security deposits, and improving unsafe or unhealthy living conditions.
In addition to these core services, LLV is actively developing new initiatives, including a medical-legal partnership with local free clinics such as Hilton Head Island Volunteers in Medicine, Bluffton Jasper Volunteers in Medicine, and the Good Neighbor Medical Clinic. This initiative aims to provide educational clinics at medical facilities, offer on-site legal services to low-income patients, and remove barriers such as transportation and trust issues that prevent individuals from seeking legal help.
“By embedding our services within health care settings, we make legal assistance more accessible to those in need,” Caywood said.
One of the most inspiring success stories from LLV involves a young mother seeking legal help to protect her preschool-aged daughter. Her husband, who had the financial means to hire a private attorney, wanted to take the child out of state. LLV stepped in, providing legal representation and securing child support, ensuring the mother could provide for her daughter.
But the support didn’t stop there. The organization’s community partnerships helped secure home repairs to improve the child’s living conditions and a scholarship for the child to attend a private preschool.
“At the end of it all, she turned to us and said, ‘I’m gonna get my GED next,’” Caywood said. “Seeing that evolution was incredibly touching. We get to work with people like this every day, empowering them to create a better future.”
Alex Graham
The people behind the mission
LLV operates with four full-time staff members and some 20 volunteers. Their passion for service drives them to help individuals overcome legal challenges and rebuild their lives.
Anne Caywood
“We truly love what we do because we get to witness the transformation of people who come to us in difficult situations,” Caywood said. “Seeing them shine and have new opportunities keeps us coming back every day.”
Caroline Richards
Unlike many nonprofit legal organizations, LLV does not receive federal funding. Instead, they rely on generous support from local and state organizations, including Community Foundation of the Lowcountry; Coastal Community Foundation; United Way of the Lowcountry; the South Carolina Bar Foundation; homeowners associations from Long Cove, Wexford, Berkeley Hall, and Belfair; local churches; and individual donors.
Hannah Kidd
“We are extremely grateful for the ongoing support from the local community and our funders,” Caywood said. “Without them, we wouldn’t be able to serve the thousands of individuals who rely on us.”
In February, LLV marked its 25th anniversary with a celebration on Hilton Head Island. As part of this milestone year, they are hosting outreach events and fundraisers to engage the community.
Ivette Foreit
One of their most popular events is the Wild Women’s Tea Party, now in its 15th year. Women from across the Lowcountry come together to raise funds and support each other, donning elegant hats and embracing the event’s theme; this year, it was Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.
“Women really understand the struggles other women face, and they want to support our work,” Caywood said. “Of course, men do too, and we are honored to have the support of all community members.”
Sandy Lomeli
As LLV embarks on its next 25 years, the organization remains committed to expanding access to justice for low-income residents. However, their success depends on the continued generosity of donors and volunteers.
“The key word for all of us at Legal Volunteers is ‘grateful,’” Caywood said. “We are honored to serve this community, and we appreciate every donation and volunteer who helps us continue our mission.”
For those interested in supporting LLV, donation options and volunteer opportunities can be found at LowcountryLegalVolunteers.org and their social media pages.
By standing together, the Lowcountry community can ensure that justice remains accessible to all, regardless of financial means – a legacy worth celebrating for another 25 years and beyond.
The Lowcountry Legal Volunteers Team (from left to right) Ivette Foreit, bilingual paralegal; Sandy Lomeli, bilingual legal assistant; Hannah Kidd, medical legal partnership attorney; Anne Caywood, ESQ, managing attorney; Alex Graham, outreach coordinator, and Caroline Richards, paralegal.
