Free legal hotline available to Missourians impacted by severe weather, tornadoes
- Call 1 (800) 829-4128 to be connected with volunteer Missouri lawyers ready to help
Missouri residents and businesses impacted by this week’s severe weather and tornadoes which swept across the state now have access to free legal services through The Missouri Bar’s Disaster Recovery Legal Assistance Hotline. The Missouri Bar activates its Disaster Recovery Legal Assistance Hotline following events or natural disasters in order to aid Missouri citizens and communities.
“Volunteer lawyers throughout our state are at the ready to help our neighbors,” said 2018-19 Missouri Bar President Ray Williams. “We are ready to connect callers to the hotline with volunteer lawyers who can help with questions about insurance claims, replacing important legal documents, avoiding scams and how to rebuild.”
Those seeking legal assistance should call 1 (800) 829-4128 – a special toll-free number to receive requests for free legal help.
Volunteer lawyers will help storm survivors with the following:
- Assistance with medical and property insurance claims
- Counseling on landlord-tenant, real estate property and mortgage questions
- Help reviewing home or business repair contracts
- Replacement of wills and other important legal documents lost or destroyed in the disaster
- Consumer protections such as price-gouging and avoiding scams in the rebuilding process
All calls are screened and then referred to volunteer lawyers who agree to offer a telephone consultation, providing free legal advice for disaster-related problems. Callers who need representation in court or who have issues requiring fee-generating services will be referred to the appropriate services.
Citizens can also receive legal and insurance assistance in-person during Multi-Agency Resource Center disaster relief events which the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency plan. During those events, Missouri lawyers will be on-site to answer law-related questions surrounding issues and problems facing storm survivors. A Multi-Agency Resource Center is a central location for local and state agencies as well as human service organizations to answer questions and provide information and disaster-related assistance.
The Missouri Bar is a statewide organization that is dedicated to improving the legal profession, the law and the administration of justice for all Missourians. Created in 1944 by order of the Supreme Court of Missouri, it serves all 30,000 of Missouri’s practicing lawyers. The Missouri Bar provides a wide range of services and resources to its members, as well as the media, educators and the citizens of Missouri. To learn more about The Missouri Bar, visit MoBar.org and MissouriLawyersHelp.org.