Iowa Legal Aid, the Iowa State Bar Association and the Polk County Bar Association’s Volunteer Lawyers Project are working together to develop a legal hotline for legal issues relating to coronavirus/COVID-19. The COVID-19 Legal Advice Hotline — 1-800-332-0419 — is now live.

This hotline is a free service available to all Iowans who are experiencing legal issues due to the public health crisis. Iowa Legal Aid is hosting the hotline and working closely with the Iowa State Bar Association and the Polk County Bar Association’s Volunteer Lawyers Project, to get all Iowans access to the key legal information and advice they need during this crisis.

“This Legal Advice Hotline will assist Iowa’s most vulnerable at a time of deepening crisis” said Nick Smithberg, executive director of Iowa Legal Aid. “We stand ready to help Iowans with a host of legal challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including problems related to housing, employment, and domestic violence.”

The Hotline operates between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Iowans experiencing any type of legal problem related to the coronavirus/COVID-19 crisis, such as facing eviction, being denied unemployment benefits, experiencing employment issues, or being a victim of identity theft, can call 1-800-332-0419.

Callers will leave a message and Iowa Legal Aid staff will call them back. Those who meet Iowa Legal Aid’s guidelines will be connected with an Iowa Legal Aid attorney; those who are outside of Iowa Legal Aid’s guidelines will be connected with volunteer attorneys through The Iowa State Bar Association and the Polk County Bar Association’s Volunteer Lawyers Project.