| Legal Aid of Manasota |
www.legalaidofmanasota.org
Sarasota: 941-366-0038| 1900 Main Street, Ste. 302
Manatee: 941-747-1628| 1201 6th Ave W Ste. 402
Venice: 941-492-4631| 749 Shamrock Blvd. |
Legal Aid of Manasota handles civil areas of law including consumer issues, divorce, domestic violence, family law, housing, nonprofit assistance, special education, and wills and advance directives. To apply, you will need to call the Legal Aid Office to be pre-screened over the telephone or complete the online application and if you qualify, you will be given an appointment with an intake attorney. |
| Gulf Coast Legal Services |
gulfcoastlegal.org/
Sarasota Location: 800-230-5920 | 250 Tamiami Trl., Ste. 201-D. Venice, FL 34285
Manatee Location: 941-746-6151 | 1111 3rd Ave. W. Unit 120, Bradenton, FL 34205
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A non-profit organization serving the civil legal needs. Able to provide legal help with housing, eviction, foreclosure problems, family or domestic violence issues, immigration and human trafficking matters, and tax, SSI/disability, and consumer matters.
Special emphasis on helping vulnerable populations within Sarasota, Manatee, and Pinellas Counties:
Seniors (age 60+)
Families with school-age children, unhoused persons
ex-Offenders re-entering society; LGBTO+ Individuals. |
| United Way South Sarasota County |
uwssc.org
4242 Tamiami Trail S. Venice, FL 34292 | 941-484-4811
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Through the ALICE(Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) project, those who have little to no access to justice with the civil legal system receive assistance. There is also the SHIELD program which is a rapid response to people facing evictions. |
| Bay Area Legal Services |
www.bals.org
Manatee, Sarasota, Pasco & Pinellas Residents:
1-800-625-2257
Hillsborough County Residents:
813-232-1343
Veterans Legal Helpline: 1-866-486-6161
Senior Legal Helpline: 1-888-895-7873
Disaster Legal Helpline: 1-833-514-2940
TTY: 800-955-8771
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Bay Area Legal Services provide free civil legal help to eligible residents in the following five counties: Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, and Sarasota.
Generally, help is limited to income-limited applicants who are permanent residents of the United States. However, exceptions can be made to seniors, domestic violence victims, and certain other applicants.
Individuals may apply by calling to schedule an appointment or visiting the website. |
| Cenacle Legal Services, Inc. |
237 Nassau St. N
Venice, Florida 34285
941-244-0308
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Cenacle Legal Services, Inc., is an all-pro bono legal option for income-eligible individuals residing in Englewood, North Port and Venice. Legal services are provided by volunteer attorneys regardless of clients' race, age, religion, gender, disability or immigration status in the United States. Priority services are extended to the elderly, the vulnerable and the working poor who may not qualify for traditional legal aid from Gulfcoast Legal Services and Legal Aid of Manasota. Consultations are provided by appointment only. |
| Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc. |
www.frls.org
Florida Rural has a staff that is fluent in Spanish and Creole.1-888-582-3410.
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Desoto County Residents Only
(Also, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry, Glades, Indian River, Martian, St. Lucie, Palm Beach, Highlands, Hardee, and Hendry Counties).
Provides civil representation in the areas of housing, including landlord/ tenant, public benefits, employment, wage claims, elder law, consumer problems, farm-worker issues, job discrimination and limited immigration assistance. The agency’s elder law project serves seniors over 60 regardless of income. It also assists clients through its pro bono program with local attorneys and local bar associations, mainly in the family law area. Direct family law services are provided in Charlotte, St. Lucie and Martin Counties. |
| Florida Free Legal Answers |
Florida.FreeLegalAnswers.org |
Partners: The Florida Bar Association
Administrator: The Florida Bar
Users sign up for an account, then post their legal question privately on the online platform.
Attorneys sign up for the categories in which they want to provide help and receive email alerts when a question has been posted on the platform. Volunteer attorneys anonymously answer the question through the website. The person who posted the question receives an email alert when the question is answered and may ask follow-up questions through the online platform.
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| Florida Courts Help App |
Help.FlCourts.org |
Partners: Office of the State Courts Administrator, Florida Commission on Access to Civil Justice
Administrator: Office of the State Courts Administrator
Available on Apple and Android devices, the app seeks to help Floridians who represent themselves in family law cases by offering, in one place, information for people seeking a divorce, adoption, orders of protection, name change, and other family law issues. Among the resources available are links and contact information for help centers all around the state, along with 186 Supreme Court-approved family law forms that can be filled out on the device.
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| Domestic Violence Legal Hotline |
800-500-1119, EXT. 3 (In Florida)
850-385-0611 (Outside Florida)
TTY 1-800-955-8771
Florida Relay 711
Hours Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM
(National Domestic Violence Hotline open all hours - 1.800.799.7233)
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Partners: Florida Legal Services Inc., Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Administrator: Florida Legal Services, Inc.
This hotline provides free legal advice and referrals regarding injunctions for protection and other family law matters for victims of domestic, dating, sexual violence, and stalking. Non-English speaking callers have access to foreign-language interpreters.
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| Florida Senior Legal Helpline |
law.elderaffairs.org
1-888-895-7873
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Partners: Bay Area Legal Services, Florida Department of Elder Affairs
Administrator: Bay Area Legal Services
Eligible callers are scheduled for a free telephone consultation with a legal aid attorney or paralegal. Most callers will receive answers to their legal questions during the initial telephone appointment. Clients may also qualify for referrals to civil legal aid providers in the clients’ local communities. These providers work in partnership with the Senior Legal Helpline and the Department of Elder Affairs to ensure that low-income and other vulnerable elderly Floridians have equal access to legal remedies.
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| American Bar Association Free Legal Help |
www.americanbar.org |
Service offered by the American Bar Association to find federally funded legal aid services, pro bono services, free legal answers and other resources. |