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SOUTHEAST TEXAS RECORD

Thursday, November 21, 2024

Free legal assistance available for low-income individuals affected by the 2021 Texas winter storm

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AUSTIN—The State Bar of Texas, the American Bar Association, and legal aid providers across the state remind Texans that a toll-free legal assistance hotline is available to low-income individuals and families affected by the Texas winter storm that began Feb. 11.

The hotline — 800-504-7030 — is available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese and connects low-income individuals affected by the disaster with local legal aid providers who can help with:

  • Assistance securing government benefits as they are made available;
  • Assistance with life, medical, and property insurance claims;
  • Help with home repair contracts and contractors;
  • Replacement of wills and other important legal documents lost or destroyed in the disaster;
  • Consumer protection issues such as price-gouging and avoiding contractor scams in the rebuilding process;
  • Counseling on mortgage-foreclosure problems; and
  • Counseling on landlord-tenant problems.
Callers to the hotline can leave a message at any time. Individuals who qualify for assistance will be matched with Texas lawyers who have volunteered to provide free, limited legal help. Callers should be aware 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 attorneys are paid part of the settlement by the court). Such cases are referred to a local lawyer referral service.

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