Legal Help After a Disaster

Legal services for disaster victims is an essential part of emergency management and response. Californians impacted by this year’s wildfires may need legal advice for various reasons, including filing insurance claims, securing federal assistance, replacing legal documents, resolving landlord-tenant disputes, consumer protection matters, and more.

Statewide disaster legal services website: www.disasterlegalservicesca.org provides information and resources for wildfire survivors. Also includes resources related to COVID-19.

Statewide legal assistance hotline: 888-382-3406. Disaster legal services for anyone impacted by the wildfires. No hours because it takes messages. No income limits; free to everyone.

Online legal advice: Clients ask questions and get brief legal advice. Disaster legal services and COVID-19 legal services. For modest means clients (under 400 percent of Federal Poverty Level): www.ca.freelegalanswers.org.

The types of legal assistance that may be available include:

• Assistance with securing government benefits available to disaster survivors;
• Assistance with life, medical, and property insurance claims;
• Help with home repair contracts and contractors;
• Replacement of wills and other important legal documents;
• Assistance with consumer protection matters, remedies, and procedures; and
• Counseling on landlord-tenant problems as well as mortgage and foreclosure problems.

Finding an attorney

• What you need to know when hiring an attorney
• Free or low-cost legal services
• Look up an attorney's State Bar public profile to make sure they are licensed to practice law in California and to review any potential record of discipline

Applying for federal aid

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) helps in a variety of ways, including helping to pay for home repair, funeral costs, and cleanup. Monitor FEMA announcements to determine if disaster assistance is available in your area. If FEMA assistance is available, fire victims have a limited time to file for individual assistance with FEMA. Each county impacted by the fires may have a different deadline.

Undocumented immigrants may be eligible for individual assistance from FEMA if a family member has an officially recognized immigration status in the United States.

• Apply online for FEMA assistance or call FEMA at 800-621-3362.
• If your request for assistance is denied, you may be eligible to file an appeal. The time to file is limited.

Replacing lost documents

Your recovery may start with establishing who you are or where you lived. The State Bar provides a list of agencies and next steps to get a duplicate California driver's license or identity card, birth certificate, marriage license, or other documents.

• Get help with a lost document or find duplicate documents.

Getting help from state agencies and nonprofits

Other state agencies and nonprofit community groups can help with emergency food assistance, unemployment, shelter, crisis counseling, or other health concerns after the fires.

• RESPONSE.CA.GOV provides Californians with information and resources for current incidents, transportation impacts, vital health services information, shelter and housing locations, unemployment assistance, and other state information.
• Information about filing an unemployment claim with the California Employment Development Department. Call 800-300-5616 if you have questions.
• Help for military veterans through the California Department of Veterans Affairs.
• Apply for food assistance from the state.
• Apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance through the state.
• For other resources, see LawHelpCA.org's listings on disaster assistance and recovery.

Avoiding legal fraud after a disaster

Avoid fraud from people promising to offer legal services. This is particularly important when you suffer major losses.

Lawyers and their representatives are prohibited from:

• Soliciting clients at an accident scene, at a hospital, or on the way to a hospital
• Soliciting clients who, because of their physical, emotional, or mental state, are unable to exercise reasonable judgment
• Sending you mail solicitations, unless the letter and envelope are clearly labeled as an advertisement
• Promising a particular outcome from the legal representation

Fraud alert: More information about how to avoid and report legal fraud

Reporting legal fraud and other attorney misconduct

• Attorney misconduct complaint form
• Unauthorized practice of law complaint form

You can also call the State Bar's multilingual intake hotline at 800-843-9053 for help filing a complaint.