Free Legal Assistance Available for North Carolina Survivors of Hurricane Florence

"September 20, 2018 – A toll-free legal aid hotline is now available for survivors of Hurricane Florence in North Carolina. The service, which allows callers to request the assistance of a lawyer free of charge, is a partnership between the North Carolina Bar Association Young Lawyers Division with support from the North Carolina Bar Foundation, Legal Aid of North Carolina, the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Survivors of Hurricane Florence who have disaster-related legal questions or concerns may call 1-833-242-3549, the NC DLS assistance hotline activated by the North Carolina Bar Association. Callers should identify that they are seeking hurricane related legal assistance, ask for Disaster Legal Services and identify the county in which they are located. Survivors who qualify for assistance will be matched with North Carolina lawyers who have volunteered to provide free legal help.

Examples of legal assistance available include:

Assistance with appeals of FEMA and other benefits available to disaster survivors

Assistance with life, medical and property insurance claims

Help with home repair contracts and contractors, including fraud or scams

Replacement of wills and other important legal documents destroyed in the disaster

Assistance with consumer protection matters

Counseling on mortgage-foreclosure problems

Counseling on landlord/tenant problems

Emergency family law-related needs caused by a change in housing circumstances

The hotline is available weekdays between 9:00am and Noon.  Individuals who qualify for assistance will be matched with North Carolina lawyers who have volunteered to provide free, limited legal help. Survivors should be aware that there are some limitations on disaster legal services. For example, assistance is not available for cases that will produce a fee (i.e., those cases where fees are paid part of the settlement by the court). Such cases will be referred to the NCBA Lawyer Referral Service (www.NCFindALawyer.org)..."

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