Lexington County, SC 10/11/2024 - A free legal help hotline is open for Hurricane Helene survivors with disaster-related legal needs in the following counties in South Carolina which have been declared disaster areas by FEMA: Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Catawba Indian Reservation, Cherokee, Chester, Edgefield, Greenville, Greenwood, Hampton, Jasper, Kershaw, Laurens, Lexington, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Union, and York.
The service, which allows callers to request the assistance of a lawyer to aid in hurricane-related matters, is a partnership between the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, the South Carolina Bar, the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers Division, and South Carolina Legal Services.
Hurricane victims facing legal issues who are unable to afford a lawyer may call (803) 576-3815 and leave a message requesting assistance. Callers should identify that they are seeking disaster-related legal assistance, a brief detailing of the legal issue(s) involved, their contact information, and the county in which they are located. Individuals who qualify for assistance will be matched with South Carolina lawyers who have volunteered to provide free legal assistance.
Hurricane victims may also request assistance online by emailing DisasterInfo@SCBar.org or submitting disaster-related questions to SCFreeLegalAnswers.org.
Hotline callers may get help with legal issues such as:
FEMA and SBA financial benefits
Home repair contracts and property insurance claims
Replacing wills and other important legal documents destroyed in the disaster
Price gouging, scams, or identity theft
Landlord or tenant problems, or threats of foreclosure
Disability-related access to federal, state, and local disaster programs
Survivors can call the hotline anytime to leave a message.
Hotline partners cannot help in all cases. For example, we cannot take cases where a settlement could include legal fees or an award. However, we can refer those cases to other legal help, including the South Carolina Bar Lawyer Referral Service ((803) 799-7100 or LRS.SCBar.org).
For victims seeking assistance outside of the declared counties or for non-hurricane related legal issues, please contact South Carolina Legal Services at 888-346-5592.
For up-to-date information on free legal services for survivors, media members can contact our partners in these languages: English and Spanish.
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