Lawyer organizations offer help for fire victims

Oct. 20--A coalition of private and public legal organizations have created a hotline to provide legal aide to fire victims across California, it was announced.

The hotline number is (415) 575-3120. Callers can also leave a message. Spanish and Chinese language attorneys will also be on the hotline, according to the announcement.

The hotline lawyers will be able to guide victims through a variety of legal issues with a focus on:

--Landlord tenant legal issues

--Life, medical and property insurance issues

--Emergency aid applications (FEMA)

--Home repair contracts

--Mortgage foreclosure issues

--Replacement of wills and other important legal documents

Additional legal resources related to disasters can be found on the State Bar's website.

Besides the State Bar-run hotline, there are two others for Napa and Sonoma counties, the announcement notes. The Bay Area Legal Aid's Legal Advice Hotline, 1-800-551-5554, is for Napa County residents. Also, The Healthcare Consumer Center's line, 1-855-693-7285, is available to aid Sonoma and Napa county residents with medical insurance coverage issues, prescription coverage issues and for those who have relocated out of state, it says.

The groups involved in creating the hot line include Bay Area Resilience Collaborative or BARC (Bar Association of San Francisco,) SF-Marin Lawyer Referral and Information Service and the Justice & Diversity Center; Alameda County Bar Association and the Volunteer Legal Services Corporation; State Bar of California, Bay Area Legal Aid; and Pro Bono Net, the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Legal Aid Association of California.

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