Free Hurricane Idalia legal helpline available; more volunteers are needed
The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division, in conjunction with the ABA Young Lawyers Section and FEMA, has set up a free legal helpline to provide assistance to eligible individuals affected by Hurricane Idalia in Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, Suwannee, or Taylor counties.
YLD President Anisha Patel recently told the Board of Governors the division recruited 17 lawyers to volunteer for the hurricane hotline, but they could use more. All Florida Bar members eligible to practice may volunteer to provide basic civil legal services for people who cannot otherwise afford legal representation in non-fee generating cases.
Survivors may call the toll-free legal services hotline anytime and leave a message for a callback at 866-550-2929.
Callers may get help with legal issues such as:
- Securing FEMA and other government benefits available to disaster survivors
- Home repair contracts and property insurance claims
- Replacement of wills and other important legal documents lost or destroyed in the disaster
- Consumer protection issues such as price-gouging and avoiding contractor scams in the rebuilding process
- Counseling on landlord or tenant problems, or threats of foreclosure
- Disability-related access to federal, state, and local disaster programs
For the latest information on Florida’s recovery from Hurricane Idalia, visit FloridaDisaster.org or FEMA.
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