Three Rivers Legal Services: An Overview
Three Rivers Legal Services, Inc. is a non-profit agency providing private grants from local Jacksonville individuals and foundations to fund legal aid services through the Northeast Florida-based Three Rivers Legal Services, Inc. The mission of Three Rivers is to ensure that eligible residents receive free legal assistance in civil cases where, without access to an attorney, they would be denied justice. As a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, the primary goal of Three Rivers is to provide equal access to justice for low- and moderate-income individuals in civil legal matters . Each year, Three Rivers distributes to volunteer attorneys the cases that are accepted by the organization for its civil legal aid program. The team at Three Rivers keeps up with the legal profession as well, and recently granted a year’s contractual fellowship to a recently graduated law student to accept unpaid work at Three Rivers’ offices. Three Rivers Legal Services proudly serves Northeast Florida and continues to reach residents in Duval, Baker, Clay, and Nassau counties.
Services Offered by Three Rivers Legal Services
Three Rivers Legal Services is dedicated to assisting low-income residents of Northeast Florida, including Alachua, Bradford, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Hernando, Lake, Marion, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia Counties. Three Rivers Legal provides services for housing, domestic and family law, consumer and debt collection, disability, veteran’s law, elder (including guardianship) and bankruptcy issues. Three Rivers Legal also offers assistance to children or parents with children involved in domestic violence or abuse, and provides support in criminal clean slate cases.
Three Rivers Legal provides family law services in the areas of divorce, annulment, change of name, adoption, child custody and visitation, child support and parenting plans, paternity, post judgment matters, pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements, property settlement agreement, name changes, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, domestic violence injunctions and representation at hearings. Services for seniors and veterans are offered by appointment only.
Who Qualifies for Legal Services?
To receive legal services through Three Rivers Legal Services, applicants must meet certain income and eligibility criteria. Participation in one program does not guarantee participation in another and families may be found eligible for one program but not others. All applicants must meet income guidelines for the specific program(s) in which they wish to enroll and all adults in the household must apply in order to be approved for assistance. When multiple programs are offered, a family may apply for and receive funding for more than one program in order to obtain the full range of available legal services.
By federal law, an individual’s household income cannot exceed 125% of the current U.S. poverty guidelines. This figure is updated every year based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for All Urban Consumers. Many community service organizations use a formula of 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) or greater to determine eligibility. Three Rivers Legal Services currently utilizes this formula. These guidelines are used to determine if applicants qualify for legal aid services. In general, 125% or less of the poverty guidelines is considered low income. To view annual poverty guidelines, please visit http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/index.cfm.
Three Rivers Legal Services offers free legal assistance to individuals/families in the following areas:
- Child support
- Guardianship
- Landlord/tenant
- Child custody and visitation
- Chapter 7 bankruptcy
- Assistance with collection matters (not businesses)
- Contract disputes
- Government benefits
- Wills & advance directives
- Guardianships
- Powers of attorney
- Probates
- Divorce (limited assistance)
- Unauthorized practice of law (Please note: We do not provide assistance for employment-based immigration clients)
- Child welfare
- Compulsive gambling
- Guardianship, conservatorship, and conservatorship of real estate
- Indivisible interest in a homestead
- Divorce and family law issues
Success Stories with Three Rivers Legal Services
Three Rivers has made a tremendous impact on the Jacksonville community. Over 23 years, it has grown from an idea into a vanguard of community justice. In 1996 the first contract with the State of Florida was signed allowing Three Rivers to expand and hire staff attorneys for the First Coast. It has rapidly expanded since then. In addition to 16 staff attorneys, Three Rivers has agrued cases before the Florida Supreme Court. In the case of Simmonds v. Simmonds, 967 So.2d 1087 (Fla. 2007) a Jacksonville mother fought for a fair child support decision against an ex-husband who earned 18 , 000 a week. This landmark victory resulted in thousands of dollars in support for the minor child and was recognized with the Public Interest Litigation Award from the Florida Bar Family Law Section. It became the precedent for similar cases. It has expanded into 25 counties in Florida and four states in Georgia. It has over 750 volunteer attorneys who provide pro bono legal services to low income individuals and families. The Three Rivers Legal Services mission has been to increase access to justice for economically disadvantaged individuals in our community. Utilizing private sector lawyers around the State to represent clients in need, Three Rivers accepts and handles 1,200+ new cases each year with 22 active cases within the firm’s pro bono program.
Accessing the Services
Three Rivers provides initial legal consultation and assessment in one of two ways: walk-in or by appointment.
Walk-in service is available for most legal issues in the following areas: Monday through Friday from 9am through 4pm at Three Rivers Legal Service Center, 5000 W. BEAVER STREET, 4TH FLOOR, JACKSONVILLE, FL 32205. While appointments are not required, potential clients are encouraged to arrive early and bring photo identification, proof of income and proof of residence to facilitate the process.
Although Three Rivers is able to provide limited service to all, potential clients must be income-eligible and resident of the target counties to receive comprehensive representation. Clients are generally required to be below 200% of the U.S. Poverty Level. There are some limited circumstances under which Three Rivers serves those making above 200% of U.S. Poverty Level. Also, Three Rivers is able to serve Alabama residents who have family law matters in the state of Florida only.
In general, there are three components to service upon walk-in:
Hours of operation for walk-in service are Monday through Friday, 9am through 5pm. Although appointments are not required, consumers are welcome to call ahead to schedule a consultation time. If an individual choses to schedule an appointment, they will meet with the administrative coordinator and initial interview attorney in the consumer clinic at Three Rivers Legal Services Center, 5000 W. BEAVER STREET, 4TH FLOOR, JACKSONVILLE, FL 32205. Also, Three Rivers offers child support establishment and modification services in-person or via telephone appointment.
Time slots for telephone appointments are generally offered Monday through Friday after 10am and by request, except those that are open only during specific telephone appointment hours.
Individuals wishing to apply for service over the telephone should call (904) 301-5047, and have a full understanding of their income, assets, debts, and liabilities at the time of the call.
Hours of operation for the telephone appointment service are Monday through Friday, 10am through 5pm.
Community Collaborations and Funding
The Jacksonville Legal Aid Society (JLAS) and its pro bono programs for family law and guardianship have a rich history of community partnerships and funding sources that continue to support Three Rivers Legal Services today. We recognize the indispensable work of our pro bono volunteers, generous support of corporate and minority partners, the foundation and civic communities, law firms, and the public at-large.
The ability to meet the civil legal needs of the poor and vulnerable is made possible by three core components – qualified and dedicated staff, passionate and skilled volunteer attorneys, and loyal supporters and collaborators.
Through JLAS, Three Rivers has maintained robust relationships with the Jacksonville Bar Association and the Family Law and Quality of Life Task Forces, a collaborative of libraries, courts, human services agencies, and community non-profits. These groups are committed to improving access to justice to those in need in our community.
Three Rivers has also developed a collaborative partnership with Clay, Duval, and Nassau Counties: the Clay County Family Law Task Force; the Duval County Family Law Task Force; and the Nassau County Guardianship Task Force. These collaborative partnerships serve as a model from which other jurisdictions can learn and replicate.
Our organizational partnerships also extend to the local Florida Bar , Northern District of Florida Bankruptcy Pro Bono Project, and the statewide efforts for legal aid in Florida. Through the leadership of the Florida Bar Foundation and Florida Bar Legal Aid/Public Service Committee, Three Rivers has benefited from vital support through grants under the Florida Bar IOTA program, the Florida Bar Foundation, the IOTA Funding Task Force, and the efforts of the Pro Bono Coordinators’ Committee. These collaborative organizations support the work of civil legal services across the state, including Three Rivers Legal Services.
We also express our appreciation to the local bar associations and affiliates who support Three Rivers – The Jacksonville Bar Association; the Defense Research Institute; the Defense Trial Counsel of Florida; the American Board of Trial Advocates; the National Council of Jewish Women; the Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association; the Jacksonville Hispanic Bar Association; the Gardner-Simpson Trial Advocacy Inn of Court; the Burns Family Foundation; the Bar Foundation of the Jacksonville Bar Association; Duval County Legal Aid, Inc.; Community Connections, Inc.; Mason Law Firm, P.A.; Gardner Law Firm; Gravely Law Firm; Rogers Towers; The Law Office of Angela L. Colmenares; The Law Office of Deborah Upton; and The Law Office of R. Michael Brown, P.A.