(LAKELAND, Fla.) - Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc. (FRLS) has released the results of its 2025 Civil Legal Needs Assessment Survey, conducted from May 22 through June 25, 2025, to better understand the most pressing civil legal needs of individuals and communities across its 13-county service area.
The survey received strong participation from across the region, with more than 1,200 client-eligible respondents and over 200 service providers and members of the legal community sharing their input. Their responses are helping FRLS evaluate and strengthen how it delivers legal services, conducts outreach, and sets advocacy priorities for the future.
“It’s vital to our work to get input from the different constituents in our communities,” said Leticia Medina-Richman, Executive Director of FRLS. “They hear and see things from other perspectives that give us a clearer sense of where our help is most needed.”
Survey results showed that family law issues—including divorce, custody, and child support—remain the most common legal concerns, with 28% of respondents ranking them among the top five community needs. In response, FRLS is hiring additional family law attorneys and forming partnerships with parent rights groups and women’s shelters to expand access to these services. Housing-related issues were identified as the second most pressing need, cited by 26% of participants. To address this, FRLS is looking for ways to reallocate staff resources and funding to strengthen its housing legal team.
Another key takeaway was that many eligible individuals are still unaware that low-cost or free legal help is available, or they don’t know who to call for assistance. FRLS is tackling this challenge by expanding its outreach through traditional and multicultural media, including radio, newspapers, billboards, and social media platforms that reach non-English-speaking communities.
Participants also called for more pro bono attorneys to help meet growing demand. FRLS has launched its Pro Bono on Demand Initiative, enabling private attorneys to volunteer remotely via Zoom, even if they can only contribute a few hours at a time. FRLS is also conducting a thorough evaluation of its pro bono project to find better ways to engage more private attorneys in FRLS’s work.
Finally, respondents identified improving intake response times and accessibility as key areas for service enhancement. FRLS is developing a new scheduling system that allows potential clients to select convenient callback times and is piloting a voice agent project to reduce call waiting times and make phone intake available after hours.
“FRLS is committed to improving the services it provides to our clients,” Medina-Richman added. “The survey results give us valuable information that will help us direct our resources appropriately. I am very grateful to all those who took the time to respond."
About Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc.
Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc. (FRLS) is a non-profit law firm providing free civil legal aid to low-income individuals, families, seniors, and vulnerable populations across thirteen counties in south-central Florida. FRLS’s mission is to empower communities, protect rights, and promote justice for all.
To learn more about FRLS or to get involved, visit www.frls.org