Southern California Wildfires '08: LEGAL AID & ADVOCACY

LEGAL AID & ADVOCACY

* NEIGHBORHOOD LEGAL SERVICES

Neighborhood Legal Services is a non-profit legal services organization that gives free civil legal services to low-income residents of Los Angeles County. If we cannot help you directly or you are over our income limits, we can still assist in placing your case with a pro bono attorney or by giving you a free referral and consultation with a private bar attorney.

Neighborhood Legal Services provides these disaster-related services:

• Housing questions (paying rent, mortgages, property taxes, utilities)
• Cleanup of the site (who is responsible, who pays for it)
• Replacement of documents (immigration paperwork, proof of ownership and occupancy, other ID documents)
• Assistance with FEMA, SBA, and insurance disputes (coverage, amount of award, etc.)
• Disability accommodations, either for temporary housing or new permanent housing (modifications for people with limited mobility, cleanup for people with respiratory problems, etc.)
• Any other legal issues arising from the fires

13327 Van Nuys Blvd Pacoima, CA 91331 (800) 433-6251
Contact: Abby McClelland (Free services only obtainable by making contact with Abby)
Phone: 1(800) 433-6251 x 137 or (818) 834-7537
Email: amcclelland@nls-la.org Neighborhood
Web site: www.nls-la.org

Wills and Trusts:

If the will and/or family trust was prepared by an attorney, you may be able to obtain a copy of the document by contacting the attorney who drafted it. If you do not have the attorney’s current address, contact the State Bar of California at:

Phone: (415) 538-2577 or search for the attorney’s contact information online at:
Web site: www.members.calbar.ca.gov/search/member.aspx

* CALIFORNIA SENIOR LEGAL HOTLINE

The Senior Legal Hotline exists to provide seniors with fast, accurate advice on any legal subject, by phone and internet. We aim to empower callers to solve the problems they face, and when needed, we may offer limited extra assistance. When clients need more help than we can offer – representation in court, for instance – we do our best to help them find it. We also engage as much as we can in educational efforts to help seniors prevent legal problems before they occur.

Phone: 1(800) 222-1753
Web site: http://www.seniorlegalhotline.org/
Email: http://www.seniorlegalhotline.org/ (First time clients use the online email form)

* COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT SERVICES (CES)

CES provides services to the residents of 166 zip code areas and maintains offices in Hollywood, Glendale and the San Fernando Valley. CES employs multi-ethnic, multi-lingual staff, which possesses cultural awareness and sensitivity required to efficiently assist the diverse population of its service region. The organization received recognition and support from the local residents and the elected officials, who represent CES service areas. If you have any questions, please call Zigmund Vays at (818) 894-8121.

The mission of CES is: to enhance the community’s economic, social, and cultural and educational standards through provision of community services for the economically disadvantaged persons, youth, seniors, disabled, refugees and immigrants and through implementation of community development projects.

John Cvjetkovic
Human Services Administrator II
Property and Emergency Management Section
Bureau of Administrative Services
Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services
12440 E. Imperial Hwy. # 601, Norwalk, 90650

Phone: (562) 345-7729
Email: johncvjetkovic@dpss.lacounty.gov
Web site: http://www.cesinla.com

Special note: For individuals, who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech-disabled, please call the California Relay Service at 711 and ask to be put in touch with the Office of Emergency Services at: 916-845-8400