Bay Area Legal Services FAQ

Frequently asked questions and answers about Bay Area Legal Services:


Question #1:  Is Bay Area Legal Services a government agency?
Question #2:  Does Bay Area Legal Services handle criminal cases?
Question #3:  Are the attorneys at Bay Are Legal Services real attorneys?
Question #4:  Do applicants have a "right" to an attorney at Bay Area? 
Question #5:  Will Bay Area Legal Services accept any case so long as the applicant is low-income?
Question #6:  Is there a fee for obtaining legal services from Bay Area Legal Services?
Question #7:  What kinds of cases does Bay Area Legal Services handle?
Question #8:  Can I email a legal question?

 

 

 

Question #1:  Is Bay Area Legal Services a government agency?
Answer::  No, Bay Area is a non-profit corporation governed by a 21 member local board of directors.  The majority of the board members is selected by the Hillsborough County Bar Association.

 

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Question #2:  Does Bay Area Legal Services handle criminal cases?
Answer::  No, we do not.  Bay Area advises and represents clients only in civil legal cases.  If you are charged with a criminal case or traffic case and cannot afford an attorney you should request a public defender when you first appear before a judge.  Of the civil cases we handled in 2004- 48% were family related (divorce, custody, domestic violence). 20% were housing issues.

 

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Question #3:  Are the attorneys at Bay Are Legal Services real attorneys?
Answer::  Bay Area Legal Services' attorneys choose to work at legal aid services over private practice because they are dedicated to the mission of helping low-income people and have been practicing law for an average of 14 years.

 

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Question #4:  Do applicants have a "right" to an attorney at Bay Area? 
Answer::  Service is not a "right."  Applicants are not entitled to representation.  Before a case is accepted the case must be determined to have legal merit and, if resolved successfully, make a difference in the future of the client.

 

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Question #5:  Will Bay Area Legal Services accept any case so long as the applicant is low-income?
Answer::  Bay Area averages 5000 calls per month and must prioritize cases.  In 2005, Bay Area advised and/ or gave representation to 16,000 families, however thousands of people with family law and other problems were turned away due to limited resources.

 

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Question #6:  Is there a fee for obtaining legal services from Bay Area Legal Services?
Answer::  Although there is no fee for any of Bay Area's services, you must qualify financially for many programs.  This is based upon your annual income.  To find out if you qualify, please call our legal aid line at 813-232-1343 or 1-800-625-2257.  There are significant exceptions to these income guide lines. Specific grants have different eligibility guidelines which may apply for persons 60 or older, HIV+, victims of spouse abuse, and other special programs.

 

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Question #7:  What kinds of cases does Bay Area Legal Services handle?
Answer::  Family Law: Divorce where there is domestic violence and/or custody of children is involved
Domestic Violence: Extension of Restraining Order hearings  
Elder Law: Abuse & exploitation of the elderly, Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, housing and consumer matters
Legal Matters Affecting HIV Infected Individuals: Employment, insurance, disability benefits, health care matters, housing and consumer matters
Housing Discrimination: Discrimination based on race, sex, color, religion, national origin, handicap, familial status, sexual orientation, age or marital status.

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Question #8:  Can I email a legal question?
Answer::  No, we cannot accept any legal questions by email.

 

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We are a 501(C) (3), a copy of the official charitable organization registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free (1-800-435-7352) within Florida.  Registration does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by the state.  Registration #CH1969.


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