FAQs

Most attorneys just can’t afford to take on low-wealth clients, or clients with complicated issues to resolve. That’s what makes DCRAC Law different—your cases are our entire practice, and we offer them at low or no cost.

DCRAC Law identified two areas of critical need in our community: A lawyer to represent clients when they must go against the IRS and a lawyer to help you keep your home from foreclosure if it is not in your name. Financial stability isn’t just about money in the bank—it’s understanding what you do with it, and what can happen to it. DCRAC Law offers the services that go alongside your financial needs: title issues, tax troubles, estate planning, and more.

Many people don’t realize they need a will, even if they don’t have a lot of wealth on hand. We want to make sure that, if something happens to you, your loved ones—and everything you’ve worked hard for—get taken care of.

VITA providers are our strongest partners.  They prepare taxes for free.  Our Tax Clinic provides a lawyer for free. Tax debt can be a huge financial burden and having a free lawyer by your side makes dealing with the IRS a little easier.  Tax debt can be a huge financial burden and having a free lawyer by your side makes dealing with the IRS a little easier. 

We have a simple fee schedule for different services, although we’re are open to discussing payment arrangements if needed. Some types of legal services do require their own expenses: filing fees, for instance, or other necessary documents and actions like appraisals, title searches, deed filings, or court fees. Those fees are the client’s responsibility, so we do our best to provide an estimate of what they can expect at the outset. 

Yes. Deposits at the Stepping Stones Community Federal Credit Union are federally insured.

Glad you asked.  We keep the cost of operating the credit union low.  When our costs are low, we have no reason to ask our members to help us pay for things such as electricity or rent.  In other words, it allows us to continue to offer our services at a cost that remains affordable.

Yes. Our members can get their paychecks, benefits checks, tax refund checks, stimulus checks, all directly deposited in their account at no cost!

At all times, we require our members to keep $5 in their accounts.

Since 2012, we have delivered safe and reliable access to savings, credit, and other financial services without the high cost associated with typical check cashing services. Stepping Stones is open to anyone with a connection to the City of Wilmington and an interest in becoming a member. We offer fee-free accounts, low-interest loans, and coaching to help you get the most out of our services—and out of your money. When you get a paycheck, we want you to keep as much of it as you can. By using a local credit union, you’re joining with people just like you to support banking services that work for Delawareans, regardless of income—and you’re taking a stand against predatory lenders.

Creating a bank account and using these services means you can build up and secure your savings, as well as access low-interest loans for things like a house or car repairs. When you’re low-wealth, the big banks don’t always go after your business, or they charge sky-high fees to bring you in. It’s a whole other ballgame when you walk into Stepping Stones. We’re not a typical bank—we have the same services, but we’re centered on helping our own community thrive. If you need a loan, you want someone who cares enough to do the due diligence and make sure you’re getting into the right agreement for what you need. When you bank with Stepping Stones, that’s what you get.

Unfortunately, our focus is only on financial education.  All classes we tech are on our website.  These classes are free to attend.

Registered students are able to sign-up for the class you wish to attend.

We welcome anyone who wants to attend a class we offer.  There is only one catch.  If we cancel a class for any reason, you may not know about it.

Not knowing what you don’t know about debt, credit, and finance can be dangerous—with consequences that hold you accountable for years. No one teaches you in school about finance, taxes, budgets, or stuff like how to create a will. DCRAC offers all that—at no cost. When it comes to your finances, not everything requires an expert to deal with—but you want to understand what’s going on and what you can do about it.