In Alabama, multidisciplinary teams are in place to protect children from physical and sexual abuse. The teams consist of district attorneys, counselors, medical personnel, police officers or detectives, school officials, social workers and any other person relevant to the safety and welfare of children. During an MDT meeting, all parties come together to discuss reports received by different agencies concerning the child in question. Then they try to reach a decision to help the child. Everyone has a distinct job in his field and it is this expertise that makes the MDT work.
People come together to work towards a common goal.
While the poor often qualify for various free legal assistance programs, and more affluent consumers can afford fees in excess of hundreds of dollars an hour that many large firms now charge, people in the middle often have nowhere to turn. Sometimes, it is the perception of cost, more than the cost itself that becomes prohibitive. I hear people say all the time that they didn't call a lawyer because it cost too much. There is a perception that sitting down in a room with a lawyer, even an initial meeting, costs a fortune. For others, of course, it is a matter of simply not having the money to pay for quality legal assistance.