Legal Hotlines and Websites
Florida Call-a-Law
Phone: 561-1200
Provides recorded messages on basic legal topics intended to help identify a legal problem before seeking professional legal counsel. This program cannot replace the legal advice of an attorney or answer specific legal questions.
FloridaLawHelp.org
Website: www.FloridaLawHelp.org
Helps low income people needing legal information find a legal aid or pro-bono lawyer, learn about rights & responsibilities, and locate courts, government agencies and other social services.
Legal Services of North Florida Legal Advice Hotline
Phone: 385-0029
People with legal questions or concerns who meet income guidelines may call Monday through Thursday, 2:00 – 5:00pm.
Florida Bar Lawyer Referral Service
Phone: local-561-5844; toll free-1-800-342-8011
Website: www.Floridabar.org
Eligibility: Determined by the program.
Refers lawyers who have agreed to provide half-hour consultations for no more than $25.00 to the public. The service also provides low fee, elderly panels for those who qualify. The half-hour consultations for these panels are free.
Legal Aid Foundation of the Tallahassee Bar Association
Phone: 222-3004
Email: arrantk@earthlink.net
Eligibility: Leon County residents with civil cases and meet low-income guidelines.
Provides legal counsel, for civil cases only, to persons unable to afford to hire an attorney.
Legal Services of North Florida (LSNF)
Phone: 385-9007
Website: www.lsnf.org
Eligibility: Must be low income or persons defined as well in Title III, part B of the Older American's Act.
Provides legal services to low-income persons and the elderly. Legal assistance is not available for criminal cases or traffic violations.
Tallahassee Bar Lawyer Referral Service
Phone: 681-0601
Website: www.tallahasseebar.org
Eligibility: Anyone needing a lawyer able to pay for services.
This referral service will make a referral to a lawyer, with experience in the caller's area of interest, who will provide a half hour consultation for $25.00.
Tallahassee Senior Center
Phone: 891-4000
Eligibility: Age 60 or older.
Initial legal services, provided by Legal Services of North Florida, are available on Wednesdays by appointment at the Tallahassee Senior Center.
Elder Law Attorneys
Elder Law Attorneys focus on the variety of legal needs of the elderly. The 3 main areas that make up elder law are:
- Estate planning and administration, including tax questions.
- Medicaid, disability and other long-term care issues.
- Guardianship, conservatorship and commitment matters, including fiduciary administration.
However, there are numerous other issues which elder law attorney's deal with; all related to their specific focus – the elder client. For more information regarding elder law and how to select an elder law attorney, contact the
National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
Phone: (520) 881-4005
Website: www.naela.com
The website provides information about elder law and the broad areas covered, information on how to select an elder law attorney, and other valuable resources.
Local Elder Law Attorneys
Some attorneys have earned the designation CELA. CELA indicates Certified Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation. These attorneys have the enhanced knowledge, skills, and experience to be properly identified to the public as certified elder law attorneys. The National Elder Law Foundation has developed and publicized rules and regulations regarding certification. Attorneys who meet these rules and regulations, including passing an examination designed to demonstrate their special knowledge and skills, are certified as elder law attorneys. For more information about elder law certification, please visit the National Elder Law Foundation website at www.nelf.org.
Certified Elder Law Attorneys (CELA)
- Lauchlin Tench Waldoch, CELA
Of Counsel to McConnaughhay, Duffy, Coonrod, Pope & Weaver, P.A.
Phone: (850) 201-3555
Email: lwaldoch@mcconnaughhay.com
Elder Law Attorneys
- Victoria E. Heuler
McConnaughhay, Duffy, Coonrod, pop & Weaver, P.A.
Phone: (850) 425-8182
Email: victoria@mcconnaughhay.com - Jana McConnaughhay
McConnaughhay, Duffy, Coonrod, Pope & Weaver, P.A.
Phone: (850) 201-3555
Email: jemcconnaughhay@mcconnaughhay.com
Website: www.mcconnaughhay.com - Twyla L. Sketchley
Sketchley Law Firm
Phone: (850) 894-0152
Email: tazara1@hotmail.com