Legal aid offered to flood victims

The American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division has set up a toll-free legal aid line for Wisconsin residents affected by flooding.

The service is available for people who are unable to afford a lawyer and who have legal issues arising from severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that hit Wisconsin in June.

Wisconsin Emergency Management, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the State Bar of Wisconsin organized the legal-aid line to assist residents of the 29 counties included in the president’s disaster declaration.

(Jefferson and) Rock County is part of that disaster declaration.

The help line is available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday at 1-877-947-5291.

Messages can be left at any time and will be answered within 48 hours. Callers should say they need flood-related legal assistance.

Services available include help with:
-- Issues concerning state and federal benefits.
-- Life, medical and property insurance claims.
-- Home repair contracts.
-- Replacement of wills and other legal documents destroyed in the disaster.
-- Consumer protection, remedies and procedures.
-- Mortgage-foreclosure problems related to the disaster.
-- Landlord/tenant problems related to the disaster.

Any work performed through the bar association cannot result in any monies for either side.

Additional information is available online at www.wisbar.org or www.legalexlplorer.com.