Requirements

Basic Guidelines

For us to help you, you must be a resident of Lee County or have been referred to the Lee County Legal Aid Society by another legal services program. Your household income must be at or below 150 percent of the poverty level as established by the federal government, or at or below 200 percent of the poverty level if you have extenuating circumstances. You must also have a civil legal issue that falls under our purview. We handle the following types of cases:

  • Divorce with minor children – May include establishing parenting-plan, child support, alimony, distribution of property, assets, and debts.
  • Divorce without minor children – Advice and counsel only.
  • Establishment of Paternity/Time-sharing – Including establishment of a parenting plan and child support.
  • Temporary Custody by Extended Family Member – Securing legal rights to further the best interests of a child.
  • Stepparent Adoption – When the biological parents agree to the adoption.

Additional Guidelines

Must have been a continuous resident of Florida for the past six months (for dissolution and cases involving child custody).

Must not be residing with the opposing party.

Must have current physical address for the opposing party (either residential or work address).

If you have been convicted of battery, assault, domestic violence battery, violent crimes, sexual abuse, child abuse or elder abuse, you are not eligible for services unless the executive director, after meeting with you and considering your case, determines otherwise.

If you have an open dependency or termination of parental rights, you may meet with one of our attorneys, but we can’t provide help with custody issues until the dependency court terminates its jurisdiction over the matter. However, we can help you with a divorce to resolve issues that don’t relate to the children.

We prioritize situations involving a threat to your life or the lives of your children. We will consider cases that don’t meet the above guidelines if your situation is critical.