(LAKELAND, Fla.) - As a Florida resident, you may have become accustomed to hurricane season each year, but that doesn’t mean you have to face the aftermath alone or feel unprepared for the legal challenges that can arise. While physical safety is a top-of-mind priority, many overlook the legal challenges that can occur after a disaster strikes. Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc. (FRLS) provides income eligible residents with Disaster Legal Services, with funding from the Legal Services Corporation (LSC).
According to LSC, “The emergency management cycle is a multiphase framework that helps communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from a disaster. It also establishes a
process for continuous readiness and improvement. The cycle consists of the following four phases: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.” LSC emphasizes the important role legal aid organizations play in the recovery phase of the emergency management cycle.
LSC has created a Legal Aid Disaster Resource Center (LADRC) website detailing everything you need to know about disaster legal aid: LADRC.org
Additionally, after Hurricane Ian, FRLS got creative—bringing free legal help to local laundromats, making legal aid more accessible to those in need. FRLS' Fort Myers Managing Attorney Peter Dennis says this creativity in outreach didn’t stop after the storm—FRLS continues to meet people where they are, ensuring justice for all.
Learn more about how FRLS got creative with disaster recovery outreach events:
Survivors of disasters often need legal help with:
- Housing issues
- Civil and disability rights cases
- Document replacement
- Insurance claims
- FEMA appeals
- Bankruptcies
- And more
Survivors are already spread thin from the emotional and financial stress that occurs in the aftermath of a disaster, FRLS is here to provide the legal support necessary to bridge the gap to recovery. If you are in need of disaster legal aid, and live in Lee, Polk, Palm Beach, St. Lucie, Martin, Okeechobee, Indian River, Highlands, Hardee, Hendry, Charlotte, DeSoto, or Glades County contact FRLS at 1-888-582-3410 or visit FRLS.org/hurricane-services where you can find a link to LSC's Legal Aid Disaster Resource Center, plus many other resources to help you to prepare for, or recover from, a disaster.
About Florida Rural Legal Services (FRLS)
Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc. (FRLS) is a non-profit law firm that provides free civil legal aid to qualified individuals, families, and vulnerable communities across 13 Florida counties and to farmworkers statewide. Since 1966, FRLS has pursued justice by providing legal services in
housing law, family law, consumer protection, public benefits, elder law, disaster relief, education law, tax advocacy, and more, all at no cost to our clients. FRLS collaborates with community organizations and pro bono attorneys to deliver quality advocacy, outreach, and education designed to protect the rights of those in need. For over 50 years, FRLS has been a steadfast advocate for justice.