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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

Section 8 Housing – Project Based

Families of Project-Based Section 8 housing live in apartments owned by churches and other non-profits, as well as for-profit corporations and partnerships. These apartments are called “project-based” because the subsidy stays with the unit, not the family. So, when a family moves out, they lose the subsidy. Families apply directly…

Family & Personal

Housing

Security Deposit on Rental Homes

Under Florida Statute 83.43(12), “security deposit” is defined as: “any moneys held by the landlord as security for the performance of the rental agreement, including, but not limited to, monetary damage to the landlord caused by the tenant’s breach of lease prior to the expiration thereof.” The security deposit is money that…

Family & Personal

Housing

Self File for Divorce – Video Guide

The following information is meant to assist those who want to self-file for Divorce, also known as a “Dissolution of Marriage.” The information below is broken down into 7 sections, including the Introduction and the Closing. We encourage everyone to review the sections labeled “Introduction,” “Part 1,” “Part 5,” and “Closing.”…

Shared Property without Marriage

This page is about your legal rights and responsibilities when you share property with someone who is not your spouse. This is called co-ownership, or joint tenancy. A person who co-owns property with someone is called a Joint Tenant. This information may be helpful for you to understand if you separate…

Family & Personal

Wills, Estates, & Powers of Attorney

Small Claims Court

A small claims case is a legal action filed in county court to settle minor legal disputes among parties where the dollar amount involved is $8,000 or less. This amount excludes expenses associated with the case, such as costs, interest, and attorneys’ fees. 

Issues & Rights

Fraud & Unfair Agreements