San Juan, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico residents affected by Hurricane Fiona can now receive free legal disaster-related assistance to help them through the recovery process. To be eligible for these services survivors must have been directly affected by the disaster and not have sufficient means to hire an attorney for legal disaster-related issues.
To learn about the available resources in your area, call the toll-free legal aid hotline Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. at 1-800-981-5342. This service is provided by the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association, and Servicios Legales de Puerto Rico, in collaboration with FEMA.
Some examples of legal disaster-related issues include:
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Handling insurance claims (life, medical and property)
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Dealing with home repair contracts and contractors
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Help with consumer protection matters, remedies and procedures
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Counseling on documentation to verify occupancy and home ownership
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Counseling on landlord/tenant issues or mortgage foreclosure problems
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Replacement of wills, deeds, titles and other important legal documents destroyed or lost in the disaster.
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Assistance with securing FEMA and other benefits available to disaster survivors
Disaster-related legal services will also be available at all FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers, beginning Monday, October 10, 2022. To find a DRC near you visit fema.gov/drc.
Ways to Apply for Disaster Assistance
People affected by the hurricane in the 78 municipalities of Puerto Rico can apply for assistance online at: DisasterAssistance.gov, by downloading the FEMA app or by calling 1-800-621-3362.
People who use a relay service such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, provide FEMA the number for that service. Phone lines operate from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week. You may also visit a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in your area.