JALA - Jacksonville Area Legal Aid

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Don't let your home be foreclosed. Contact JALA for help!

If you've experienced any problems in these areas, JALA may be able to assist you.

Video: Learn MorePredatory Lending Unit

Raise awareness so that homeowners do not lose their home due to deceptive marketing, high cost loans secured by their homes and the failure of collecting these loans by crafting a plan to repay missing payments. Consumers are purchasing vehicles they cannot afford by bait and switch financing tactics. Pay Day lenders and income tax lenders are charging interest rates exceeding 390%. Debt Collectors are hounding consumers for debts they cannot even prove are owed.

Fair Housing Advocacy Center (FHAC)

Enforcing fair housing laws through Baker, Branford, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties with no income requirements. The FHAC educates housing consumers to recognize and report housing discrimination. It investigates cases of alleged discrimination through testing. Testing has proven to be a highly effective method of identifying unlawful housing discrimination. FHAC may negotiate a settlement for a client, represent a client in state or federal court, or help a client file a case with a government agency and advocate for him or her throughout the process.

The Ryan White Project

JALA maintains an HIV/AIDS Advocacy Project that provides advice, services and extended representation for those family members affected by HIV/AIDS. Staff provides assistance with a broad range of civil legal matters, including permanency planning, family law issues, and social security representation.

Video: Learn MoreAdvocacy on behalf of Foster Children, persons w/ Mental Illness

Identifying those most vulnerable within the community that have unmet needs. Advocating on behalf of foster children having special medical, emotional, developmental needs. Reaching out to therapeutic foster parents as caregivers for children who have been severely abused or suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, and mentor and tutors to work with foster children in the school system. Also, there is a need for appropriate housing for those who cannot live independently. If religious or other non-profit organizations would sponsor small independent Assisted Living Facilities, it would offer them alternatives, improve the quality of their lives and provide them with a network of caring individuals who could direct their daily activities to more meaningful endeavors and better quality of life.

Community Counsel Center

Raise awareness for free legal assistance for community based, non-profit groups regarding corporate tax, real estate, zoning and employment issues. Information clearinghouse regarding governmental programs, grant sources and providers of technical assistance for non-profit groups which want to pursue community economic development ventures. Education and support for client groups through Board of Directors training and informational hand-outs. The Community Counsel is a free legal and technical assistance program provided as a community service by JALA. The projects must benefit low and moderate income residents in Baker, Clay, Duval and Nassau Counties lacking financial resources to retain a private attorney.

Video: Learn MoreDomestic Violence / Family Law Unit

Family attorneys represent victims of domestic violence of all income ranges for injunctions for protection against repeat violence, dating violence, and sexual violence. This unit works with the Hubbard House to meet the needs of these parents and children as advocates in the legal system. Those meeting income requirements are represented with other relief, divorce, paternity and child support. Statistics show when basic needs are met for the family in crisis and the process draws to a close, the numbers of those who return to the batterer decline sharply. Getting the injunction and having support from Hubbard House is the first step toward the healing process.

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	About JALA Jacksonville Area Legal Aid provides important legal services to those who can't afford to hire an attorney.
	Domestic Violence Family attorneys represent victims of domestic violence of all income ranges.
	Fighting Off Foreclosure JALA helps people, like one local mother, fight off foreclosure.
	Foster Care Every child needs an advocate.
	Predatory Lending Debt Collectors are hounding consumers for debts they cannot even prove are owed.