MVAP MOU with Statewide Legal Helpline to Help Veterans and Service Members

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody today announced a new partnership to bolster ongoing efforts to protect Florida veterans and service members. The partnership between the Florida Attorney General’s Military and Veteran Assistance Program and Bay Area Legal Services’ Florida Veterans Legal Helpline will allow for a more rapid response to fraud, identity theft and other legal issues confronting current and former military members.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Florida veterans and service members risk their lives to protect this great country, and as a state, we must do all that we can to make sure these brave men and women have access to legal support in their time of need. By coordinating efforts between MVAP and the Helpline, we can bolster the ongoing efforts of our organizations and hopefully improve outcomes for military members and veterans targeted by scammers or confronted with other legal challenges.”

President and CEO of Bay Area Legal Services Richard Woltmann said, “This partnership will help veterans resolve significant legal problems and will help hundreds of veterans change their lives for the better. By working together, MVAP and the Helpline will be able to ensure that more veterans around the state are able to access these services.”

Attorney General Moody signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Florida Veterans Legal Helpline today. The MOU outlines plans to:

Coordinate bilateral training about the missions and responsibilities of MVAP and Helpline programs;

Build a network of mutual referral services and continually build upon the network to ensure veterans and service members are provided the best resources to address legal concerns and scams; and

Conduct outreach to inform and educate current and former military members about how to spot fraud and where to turn for assistance if targeted by scammers.

To view the MOU, click here.

MVAP educates military members and veterans about scams and what can be done to avoid falling victim. Members of the MVAP team work directly with military service members and veterans who have been targeted by scams in an effort to resolve any consumer protection related issues. To contact MVAP, call 1(866) 9NO-SCAM. For more information, click here.

The Helpline provides assistance to veterans on a range of legal issues such as housing, family law, consumer and veterans benefits matters. The Helpline number is 1(866) 486-6161. For more information, click here.