Legal
In April of 2022, El Sol and the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County entered into a partnership to provide direct legal services to our clients as well as legal education workshops. Through this partnership, clients have access to information and education about the U.S. legal system, rights, and responsibilities. Once a week, a lawyer and a paralegal see clients at El Sol providing necessary advice and when applicable, taking on the case. Legal Aid will also refer to other community lawyers when the need arises. Cases handled include wage theft, domestic violence, family law, landlord-tenant disputes, immigration, and more.
Consultations are available free of charge to the Jupiter community. Appointments must be made through our Community Care team at 561-745-9860 ext 4202.
James' Story
Though James is partially blind, his disability has never stopped him from completing his work as a day laborer. James first came to El Sol in 2015 for legal assistance after losing his Permanent Resident card.
El Sol started by assisting James with completing his citizenship application and prepared him with the documentation needed to present on the day of the interview. Sadly, James’ brother passed away during the application process. El Sol helped James get a stamp on his passport so he traveled to Antigua to be with his family.
Without any documentation to prove his legal residency, James became homeless and could not qualify for housing assistance. When James applied for his Permanent Resident Card renewal in 2017, he was once again denied his card. The application had gotten lost in the mail.
But El Sol’s legal coordinator never gave up on looking for a solution for James. With the help of St. Ann’s Place, an outreach center that provides services to homeless women and men, she continued to look for a solution for James, who was now experiencing health issues and living under a bridge.
For the third time, James reapplied for his Permanent Resident Card. The process was challenging, but several years later, El Sol’s Legal Coordinator and St. Ann’s Place staff were able to surprise James by handing him his new Permanent Resident Card.
