State Bar of Texas and Lone Star Legal Aid Promote Disaster Legal Hotline for Those Affected by Tropical Storm Imelda

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 19 -- The State Bar of Texas issued the following news release:

The State Bar of Texas and Lone Star Legal Aid seek to alert residents that free legal resources are available to low-income individuals affected by severe storms and flooding spawned by Tropical Storm Imelda.

Lone Star Legal Aid operates a toll-free disaster legal hotline -- 866-659-0666-- that can help with issues such as replacing lost documents, answering insurance questions, helping with landlord-tenant problems, and addressing scam or consumer protection concerns. People who qualify for assistance will be matched with lawyers who can provide free, limited legal help.

Individuals who qualify also may use texaslegalanswers.org -- an online Q&A-style service where individuals can pose specific questions related to civil legal issues and have them answered online by volunteer attorneys. Texas Legal Answers is operated by the State Bar of Texas in conjunction with the American Bar Association.

Additional disaster recovery resources are available at texasbar.com/disaster, texaslawhelp.org, and lonestarlegal.blog/services/disaster-relief.

The State Bar reminds the public that in many cases it is a crime in Texas for a lawyer or someone representing a lawyer to contact a person for purposes of legal representation if the person has not first requested the call or personal visit. The contact is not illegal if the attorney is not seeking payment or has a preexisting professional-client or family relationship with the person being contacted.

If you witness something you believe to be improper solicitation, or barratry, please get the name and phone number of the person making contact and report it to your local law enforcement authority or the State Bar Chief Disciplinary Counsel's Office toll free at 866-224-5999.

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The State Bar of Texas is an administrative agency of the Supreme Court of Texas that provides educational programs for the legal profession and the public, administers the minimum continuing legal education program for attorneys, and manages the attorney discipline system. For more information, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @statebaroftexas, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/statebaroftexas, or visit texasbar.com.