Free Legal Help Available to Sandy Victims at Senator Lanza’s Office Every Thursday

Senator Lanza is partnering with the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) to help victims of Hurricane Sandy deal with a range of legal issues. NYLAG will send one attorney to Senator Lanza’s district office, located at 3845 Richmond Ave., every Thursday, beginning March 21, 2013. An appointment is required and can be made during the hours of 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. by calling Senator Lanza’s office at 718-984-4073.

NYLAG's staff has engaged in rigorous trainings on FEMA benefits and other related legal needs in order to handle storm related legal matters for clients. NYLAG also sought the assistance of legal agencies that served victims of Katrina in order to apply best practices and lessons learned in the wake of that disaster to better serve individuals affected by Sandy.

Attorneys from NYLAG will be available to help victims of the storm deal with a range of legal issues, including:

FEMA CLAIMS
• Filing for FEMA and other disaster program benefits
• Appealing denied claims
• Documenting damage to homes and small businesses

CONSUMER MATTERS
• Bankruptcies and credit problems
• Contractor and other disaster-related fraud
• Financial and debt counseling

ACCESSING & CONTINUING PUBLIC BENEFITS
• Food stamps
• Medicare/Medicaid
• Social Security Disability
• Public Assistance

FAMILY LAW MATTERS
• Domestic violence
• Custody and divorce

HOUSING
• Insurance claims
• Eligibility for housing vouchers
• Landlord/tenant disputes
• Wrongful evictions
• Mortgage issues for affected homes

IMMIGRATION
• Immigrant eligibility for various public benefits
• Emergency immigration legal issues

EMPLOYMENT ISSUES
• Accessing emergency unemployment benefits

OTHER
• Replacing lost documentation/identification
• Wills and advance directives
• Special education services for displaced disabled

Individuals seeking assistance with legal issues can also call NYLAG’s hotline at 212-584-3365 or email StormHelp@nylag.org.

For more information or to make an appointment, contact Senator Lanza's office at 718-984-4073.