While the recent winter cold spells signal a welcome break from the perils of hurricane season, Southwest Floridians whose homes, businesses and lives were damaged by severe weather know that recovery is a year-round process – and a local nonprofit is here to help.
The Lee County Legal Aid Society will host a free clinic for area seniors in need of limited legal advice on civil matters, including insurer and contractor disputes following Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024. Advice will also be available regarding Hurricane Ian from 2022.
The next Law at the Library session will be from 9 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, Feb. 5, at the Fort Myers Regional Library meeting room, 1651 Lee St., Fort Myers, and is open to Lee County residents ages 50 and older.
The event will begin with light refreshments, followed by a panel presentation by local attorneys on topics in civil law of interest to seniors, with an emphasis on post-hurricane legal issues, including contractor fraud and insurance claims.
The panel’s 30-minute presentation will be followed by an audience question-and-answer session and then 20-minute individual appointments with volunteer attorneys on any legal issue, excluding criminal cases, beginning at 10 a.m.
Advance registration is required. Participants should email Nanci@leecountylegalaid.org or call 239-334-6118 and provide contact information, a brief description of the legal advice being sought, and any relevant documents. Participants should also bring those documents to the meeting.
Unlike in criminal law, there is no constitutional right to counsel in civil law, which includes landlord-tenant disputes, foreclosures, evictions, probate, debt collection, child custody cases, domestic violence orders of protection and more.
Law at the Library follows a similar series of free legal workshops “Just for Seniors” offered by Lee County Legal Aid Society in prior years through support from The Community Foundation. The current program receives support from the AARP Foundation.
For more information on Lee County Legal Aid Society, visit leecountylegalaid.org or call 239-334-6118.
About Lee County Legal Aid Society
- Founded in 1967, Lee County Legal Aid Society is a private, nonprofit organization that provides no-cost civil legal aid to low-income residents of Lee County. The organization helps narrow the access to justice gap among those who cannot afford a private attorney in civil cases. In partnership with the Lee County Clerk of the Court, Lee County Legal Aid Society offers free, 20-minute “self-help” legal clinics that pair attorneys in private practice with those in need of legal services.
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