Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida, Inc.
Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida, Inc. began providing legal services
to eligible residents of Broward County in January 2004. The program works in
conjunction with its regional partner, Legal Aid Service of Broward County and
has its offices at the same location in Plantation. The two programs work
together to ensure that clients in the region, Broward and Collier counties,
receive a full complement of legal services.
Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida is composed of three units: the senior
law unit, the family law unit, and the public benefits unit. Prior to January
2004, the staff of Coast to Coast was part of Legal Aid Service of Broward
County. The formation of the new program, which is now the LSC provider in the
region, enables Legal Aid Service of Broward County to provide services to its
clients without the restrictions imposed by LSC funding.
The Press Release
Barbara J. Prager, Esq., the Executive Director of Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida, has announced the formation of a legal services program for low income residents of Broward County. “Coast to Coast Legal Aid is funded, in large part, by the federal Legal Services Corporation. Attorneys and staff are focusing their services on individuals who need assistance in obtaining public benefits, family law, including assistance for victims of domestic violence and the legal needs of senior citizens,” said Prager. She is the former Director of the Senior Citizen Law Project of Legal Aid Service of Broward County and directs Coast to Coast’s senior law services as well.
“Legal Aid Service of Broward County continues to provide services to lower income residents of Broward County, but is now able to do so without the limits and restrictions imposed by federal funding,” announced Tony Karrat, Executive Director of Legal Aid Service of Broward County. We will be able to provide more desperately needed services to Broward residents.” Legal Aid Service of Broward now concentrates their services on children’s legal advocacy, housing law needs, consumer law issues, the needs of the homeless and special legal projects which include Ryan White HIV/AIDS victims, legal needs of people reentering the community after incarceration and rehab, and the legal needs of people with special immigrant status. As the result of a statewide reorganization of legal services, Legal Aid Service of Broward County will be responsible for the delivery of Legal Services in Collier County. Collier County will have its own staff and funding.
Barbara Prager, a veteran of over 20 years with Legal Aid Service of Broward County and Karrat, entering his 29th year of service with the agency, are pleased with this new configuration and believe that they can better serve and represent the needs of Broward’s most vulnerable and needy citizens. “ Staff for both programs reside in separate areas of the same building and, most importantly, there has been little if any confusion following the reorganization for clients and other professionals working in the community with our clients,” added Prager.
Both agencies are located at 491 N. State Road 7 in Plantation – a facility recently purchased and renovated by Legal Aid Service of Broward. The new facility is five blocks north of Broward Boulevard on State Road 7 and is accessible by private and public transportation.