NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Service (TALS) is announcing a new grant partnership with the Tennessee Department of Human Services to provide more access to free, civil legal services for families and children in Tennessee.
Together these organizations will create a statewide network of attorneys dedicated to addressing the pressing legal needs of families and children.
The new first of its kind statewide network called the Family Centered Legal Solutions (FCLS) will reach out to all 95 counties in Tennessee to help identify and address the core legal issues that often lead to poverty and family instability.
With TALS, Partners in forming the Family Focused Legal Solutions project are:
Legal Aid of East Tennessee, led by Executive Director Deb
Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, led by Executive Director DarKenya Waller
Memphis Area Legal Services, led by CEO Cindy Ettingoff
West Tennessee Legal Services, led by Executive Director Catherine Clayton
FCLS will focus on thousands of low-income Tennesseans families and children who are currently facing legal problems relating to basic human needs.
FCLS seeks to not only raise awareness of legal aid services but to also train agency staff and clients on pressing legal issues. The results will be a long-term solution to a problem that continues to grow.
Families with children can access the FCLS’s free legal services by either calling the helpline at 1-844-HELP4TN or by contacting the legal aid firm in their area.
The funding for FCLS is provided by the Tennessee Department of Human Services through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.