Get Help

Removal of a Guardian Advocate

Certain developmental disabilities can make it difficult or even impossible for a person to properly manage all areas of their life. Often, when someone with a developmental disability — such as intellectual disability, spina bifida, autism, Down syndrome or cerebral palsy — turns 18, a guardian advocate is appointed to…

Rental Assistance and Other Resources

Thousands of low income and vulnerable people across Central Florida turn to CLSMF for legal assistance related to protection of their livelihoods, their health, and their families. The following page includes links to information and resources where Central Floridians can find many types of necessary and valuable resources. We highly…

Financial Matters

Disaster Relief

Rental Property Problems after Disaster

If you rent a home or an apartment that was damaged or destroyed by a natural disaster, you may experience problems with your landlord or struggle to have repairs completed on your residence. When a rented property is damaged due to a disaster, it is common to have questions about…

Family & Personal

Housing

Financial Matters

Disaster Relief

Renters’ Rights and Evictions

A tenant is the person who lives in a rented space. The landlord is the owner or manager of that rental space. If you pay rent to a landlord, you are a tenant. It does not matter whether you pay your rent weekly, monthly, or at other regular periods. It…

Family & Personal

Housing

Replacing Lost Documents

Replacing your important documents that were lost or destroyed in a flood, fire, or other disaster can be overwhelming. Although the process varies from state to state, these general steps can help you get started. Please keep in mind that this list does not include every detail of the process.…

Financial Matters

Disaster Relief

Repossession

If you fall behind on your car loan payments, your lender can take back your car. This is called “repossession”. A “lender” is the person or company that you agreed to pay on a regular basis when they financed the purchase of your car. When you fall so far behind…

Financial Matters

Debt & Creditors

Returning Citizen – Voting Restoration

Community Legal Services (CLS) can provide legal assistance to eligible customers who believe their right to vote may have been affected by a criminal conviction. The Voting Rights community refer to these individuals as Returning Citizens. In 2018, Floridians voted to pass Constitutional Amendment 4 with 64.55% of the vote.…

Issues & Rights

Criminal History

Reverse Mortgage Foreclosures

A Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM), often referred to as a “Reverse Mortgage,” is a special type of home loan from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). A Reverse Mortgage allows you to withdraw some of the equity in your home. “Home Equity” is the value of your home minus the…

Family & Personal

Housing

Rights of Unmarried Parents / Paternity

CLS provides legal advice and representation to parents that were not married and need to legally establish the father of a child, a parenting plan, child support, and other relief related to the child.

School Expulsion or Suspension

Suspensions and/or expulsions are a form of school discipline. School discipline is a required set of actions by a district towards a student (or a group of students) after their behavior disrupts the ongoing educational activity or breaks a pre-established rule created by the school system. This is based upon…

Issues & Rights

Student & Children’s Rights