Webb
CHARLESTON -- A Charleston attorney joined a project of the American Bar Association Family Law Section's Military Committee that helps answer questions for military personnel.
Charles "Rusty" Webb was recently asked to be part of the Operation Stand-by project for military personnel in West Virginia.
"I'm the only participating West Virginia member that I am aware of," Webb said. "ABA contacted me and asked if I would be part of the project and I am glad to offer my help."
The attorneys associated with Operation Stand-by have agreed to take calls, e-mails and other correspondence from Judge Advocate General Officers and answer any questions pertaining to family law issues in their respective jurisdiction. The attorneys have also agreed to the arrangement on a pro-bono basis.
Webb said the project has been around since the first Iraq War and is an opportunity for military service personnel to contact lawyers in their jurisdiction to ask questions.
"The services are free to the military if they go through the committee," Webb said. "If a person in the military calls his JAG Officer and says, for example, he is in Iraq and his wife back home is filing for divorce and he has questions he needs answered, the JAG Officer relays those questions to a member of Operation Stand-by, and we answer them for him."
Webb said the military personnel can also retain him as an attorney in the future if they need to.
The Military Law Committee studies issues relating to clients in the military and their families, including procedural issues unique to the military; custody and visitation; divorce; alimony and support; military pension division; and Survivor Benefit Plan issues affecting military divorces.
The committee also reviews state and federal legislation and initiatives where ABA policy is affected, and teaches lawyers how to deal with military matters affecting state court legal disputes, according to its Web site.
For more information about Operation Stand-by, contact the list administrator Melissa Kucinski at mkucinski@bulmandunie.com or Webb by e-mail at rusty@rustywebb.com or by phone at 304-344-9322.