Government Assistance/Information: For information on federal government assistance for victims of
hurricanes, please call
FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). You may also apply for assistance
by visiting
http://www.fema.gov/about/process/.
Legal Assistance: Individuals without a lawyer and without the resources to hire one who need legal advice as a direct
result of a disaster may contact the Alabama State Bar toll free at 1-800-354-6154 for referral to a volunteer attorney.
Legal Services Alabama: Legal Services Alabama, Inc., is making information available regarding
Recovering From Hurricanes and Other Natural Disasters: Your Legal Rights
and the FEMA manual
"Help After a Disaster."
Legal Services Alabama (LSA) is an independent, non-profit organization providing eligible low-income families with legal assistance
in civil matters. LSA is statewide. It serves all of Alabama’s 67 counties. LSA provides a full range of services, including:
- Counsel and advice
- Mediation
- Administrative representation
- Representation in court
- Appeals in appropriate cases
- Legal self-help materials and forms.
Our goal is to help people, families as well as individuals, move toward self-sufficiency through assisting them with their legal needs.
For more information about Legal Services Alabama and some examples of what kinds of cases on which we can help,
please visit
Legal Services Alabama.
En Espanol:
"Ayuda Después de un Desastre Guía para Solicitantes al Programa para Individuos y Familias" (PDF)
Help Affected Lawyers: The Law Office Management Assistance Program (LOMAP) of The Alabama State Bar is
coordinating the exchange of information between lawyers and law firms. If your law firm has vacant office space or a conference
room that can be made available and/or you can provide administrative support, such as use of a copier, fax, or
telephone line, please login to your
Member Control Panel and visit the
Attorney Assistance link.
Lawyers Needing Help: If you have been displaced by Hurricane Katrina and need to relocate temporarily to continue
working, please visit our
Attorney Assistance Center and browse the offers available to you.
Also, if you need additional information or if you have any questions, please call us at
1-800-354-6154.
Lawyer Conduct: The effective assertion of legal rights usually requires the assistance of a competent
attorney. The selection of an attorney should be made upon the basis of the client’s trust and confidence in the attorney selected.
The Rules of Professional Conduct regulating the Alabama State Bar prohibit a lawyer from soliciting employment or initiating uninvited
contact with any individual. Furthermore, it is not appropriate for a lawyer representing another party to take advantage of a victim of
a tragedy by pressuring a victim to agree to a settlement or sign documents releasing other parties from further liability.
Alabama attorneys are strongly cautioned against engaging in solicitation of hurricane victims. Solicitation, whether by the lawyer personally or by someone else on his or her behalf, is prohibited. Solicitation includes any direct contact face-to-face, by telephone, by fax or telegraph. It also includes passing out business cards or other law firm information. Lawyers cannot mail solicitations within 30 days of the disaster. Any direct mail solicitations must comply with Rule 7.3 of the Rules of Professional Conduct and be filed with the Alabama State Bar for review. Fees from solicitation are subject to forfeiture. Click here for the full text of
Rule 7.3.
Lawyers with questions concerning whether their own future conduct may violate bar rules may call the Center for Professional Responsibility toll free at 1-800-354-6154. Volunteer lawyers who are offering their services to accident victims at no charge do not violate the anti-solicitation rule.
Anyone with information that a lawyer is engaging in solicitation should report the lawyer to the Alabama State Bar. Questions or complaints about a lawyer's conduct may be reported to the Alabama State Bar toll free at 1-800-354-6154.
