A toll‐free legal aid line is now available for people facing legal issues due to Hurricane Sandy.
Residents
who cannot afford to pay an attorney can call the help line to request
free legal assistance at 888‐541‐1900, starting at 9 a.m. today (Monday,
Nov. 12).
The New Jersey State Bar Association, American Bar
Association’s Young Lawyers Division and the Federal Emergency
Management Agency have teamed up to provide help to residents.
“Lawyers
have a special obligation to give back to the community, and as the
state’s largest lawyers group the New Jersey State Bar Association is
dedicated to serving as a source of assistance to the public. As they
have in other disasters, our volunteer attorneys are ready to help
people whose lives have been forever altered by this storm,” said State
Bar Association President Kevin P. McCann.
The hotline is open to
residents who need legal help related to the disaster. Assistance will
be available in connection with insurance‐related claims, FEMA appeals,
landlord‐tenant matters and creditor‐debtor matters.
The way the program works is:
•
Through an intake process, callers will be matched with a volunteer
attorney who can provide assistance or general legal information
regarding their issue.
• Callers should identify that they are seeking legal assistance related to Hurricane Sandy.
• The hotline will be staffed during normal business hours, but messages can be left at any time.
The
helpline is part of a long‐standing partnership between FEMA and the
ABA, and is administered by the New Jersey State Bar Association through
its Mass Disaster Response Program.