(LAKELAND, Fla.)- Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc. (FRLS) has released its 2025 Annual Report, highlighting a year of transition, growth and impact that reached thousands of Floridians in need. The report documents over 6,100 cases closed in 2025 and reflects nearly six decades of FRLS’s commitment to providing free civil legal assistance to low-income and vulnerable communities across the state.
For almost 60 years, FRLS has stood beside people who often have nowhere else to turn. Long before legal aid was widely understood, FRLS attorneys traveled dirt roads and rural highways. They met families in church halls, migrant camps, community centers and small-town libraries. They showed up wherever justice felt out of reach.
That commitment continues today.
Meeting a Growing Need for Civil Legal Help
FRLS serves clients across 13 Florida counties and farmworkers statewide. Every day, staff meet people at some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
- A parent fights to keep a safe roof over a child’s head.
- An elder faces a scam or unlawful debt.
- A worker seeks wages earned.
- A domestic violence survivor pursues safety and protection.
- A hurricane survivor struggles to rebuild home and hope.
These moments are common.
Across the United States, most civil legal problems faced by low-income families receive little or no legal help. Cost and access remain the greatest barriers. In Florida, rising housing costs, stagnant wages and displacement have intensified the crisis. About 13 percent of Florida households live below the federal poverty level, making housing instability the most pressing civil legal challenge for many families.
This is where FRLS steps in.
“2025 was a pivotal year of transition and growth for Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc. as I completed my first full year as executive director,” said Leticia Richman, Esq. “FRLS experienced improvements across processes, policies and procedures. I formed new relationships with staff, board members and other legal aid programs in the state. I started learning about the areas we serve and the people who come to us for help. I met with legislators and their staff to explain how FRLS could help them serve their constituents. I still have much to learn.”
Those efforts helped position FRLS to respond more effectively to community needs.
Impact by the Numbers
In 2025, FRLS closed over 6,100 cases program-wide, addressing urgent civil legal issues throughout Florida. Housing was the largest area of legal need served by FRLS. About 40 percent of all closed cases were housing related. Private landlord-tenant cases accounted for 67 percent of housing closures. Federally subsidized housing cases represented 11 percent of housing closures.
Most housing clients faced disputes in the private rental market, including evictions, unsafe living conditions and lease violations. For many families, legal intervention meant the difference between stability and displacement.
Family Law: Protecting Children and Survivors
Nearly 23 percent of all FRLS cases involved family law matters. These cases play a critical role in protecting children and survivors of domestic violence. FRLS attorneys assisted with injunctions for protection, custody and support matters, helping families find safety and stability.
Strengthening Pro Bono Partnerships
The 2025 Annual Report also highlights FRLS’s expanded role as a pro bono facilitator for private attorneys.
FRLS elevated pro bono awareness in the 19th Judicial Circuit by offering continuing legal education credits. The initiative reduced barriers to participation and connected attorneys with meaningful opportunities to serve.
FRLS also hosted a family law seminar in Lee County, advancing both legal education and pro bono engagement in a high-need practice area.
FRLS thanks its dedicated pro bono attorneys for their time, expertise and commitment. Their service extends the reach of justice across Florida’s communities.
Beyond the Numbers
While the data shows scope and scale, it does not tell the full story.
Behind every case is a person who needed help. Legal aid preserves housing, protects families, recovers wages and restores stability. The impact is measured not only in cases closed, but in lives changed.
With dedicated staff, engaged leadership and strong partnerships, FRLS remains committed to advancing access to justice for Floridians who need it most.
The full report offers a deeper look at the people, challenges and outcomes behind the numbers.