< PreviousLocally –owned provider of virtual office solutions. Our virtual assistants are trained to provide a number of administrative services: • Personal reception • Call screening & forwarding • Scheduling & bid management • Information collection & dissemination • Social Media posting management • Professional address & mailing services GIVE US A CALL! 904-416-3100 1301 Riverplace Blvd, #800 Jacksonville, FL 32207 JaxLegalAid.org/Donate You can protect and preserve with us. Give generously today. Consumers • Elderly • Workers • Families Children • Veterans • Neighbors Healthcare Access • Safe, Affordable Housing Economic & Food Security • Second Chances Community Well-Being • Dignity WE ARE PROTECTING WE ARE PRESERVING WE ARE JACKSONVILLE AREA LEGAL AIDAs a child in Kentucky, Michelle Broyles made a little book in school about how she wanted to be a lawyer when she grew up. “My friend actually saved my pic- ture book,” said Broyles, division chief of JALA’s Family Law and Victim Ad- vocacy Unit. “He kept it, and I didn’t even realize it. I actually made that decision in second grade but had for- gotten about it by the time I got to law school until my friend called me to congratulate me on having achieved my life’s goal.” Driven to help those who can’t help themselves, Broyles also serves on the board of the Family Nurturing Cen- ter, which assists JALA clients with supervised visitations and supervised safe exchanges of children, and she volunteers with the Humane Society. “It might actually stem from my sis- ter,” she said. “She’s about 15 months younger than me, but she was born premature, and she has health issues. She can’t speak, she can’t take care of herself. So, it probably started when I was taking care of her as a toddler and making sure she was safe.” Broyles was in private practice until August 2018, when she joined JALA to serve survivors of domestic vio- lence. “We represent and assist survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence and stalking in any type of civil legal proceeding,” Broyles said. “My de- partment focuses on family law cases: divorce, paternity, custody, temporary relative custody, and should it come up, adoption.” The main eligibility criterion is that the potential client must be a survivor of domestic violence perpetrated by the opposing party in the case. “Our department is the only de- partment that does not have an in- come cap. A lot of people don’t know that,” Broyles said. “One of the rea- sons is that a lot of times in these situ- ations, the person who is abusing the potential client has control of all the financial resources. So even if the per- son was making money, they might not have access to it to get to the help they need to leave their abuser.” About half the unit’s cases are di- vorces, and the rest are paternity, modifications, and injunctions for protection against domestic violence. The unit also provides emergency le- gal services, such as emergency pick- up orders or temporary relief. And when the 10-attorney unit doesn’t have the resources to fully represent a client, the attorneys try to offer other services such as draft- ing and filing the case, giving advice for a hearing, or doing a limited rep- resentation at a specific hearing or at mediation. “We try to give everyone some type of assistance,” Broyles said. Six of the unit’s attorneys are in the downtown Jacksonville office, which serves the Fourth Judicial Circuit, while the others are at JALA’s offices in Clay County and St. Johns County. The unit is supported by grants, the largest being through the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). One VOCA grant covers the Fourth Judicial Cir- cuit, while another covers St. Johns County, which the Florida Attorney General’s Office recently assigned to JALA since the county’s domestic vio- lence survivors weren’t being served by any other legal aid organization. In 2019, JALA served over 350 survivors under the VOCA grants. A smaller grant through the Violence Against Women Act enables the unit to assist those referred to JALA from domestic violence shelters, including Hubbard House in Duval and Baker coun- ties, Micah’s Place in Nassau County, Quigley House in Clay County and the Betty Griffin Center in St. Johns County. Hubbard House CEO Gail Patin said the legal services JALA provides are crucial to helping women escape the cycle of violence. “Legal aid plays a vital role in help- ing survivors achieve desirable out- comes,” Patin said. “Without it, many of those we serve would struggle to move forward. JALA provides a legal way to end abusive relationships, en- sure safety for their children through the courts, and move forward more safely.” Broyles said she loves helping sur- vivors of domestic violence even though it can be difficult. “What means the most to me is being able to empower them, to give them some control back, and making them realize their worth,” she said. “They are the most grateful clients I’ve ever had.” Michelle Broyles Leads JALA’s Family Law and Victim Advocacy Unit BY NANCY KINNALLY AttorneyAtLawMagazine.com 21AttorneyAtLawMagazine.com 23COKERLAW.COM | 904.356.6071 At Coker Law, we are proud to stand together as co-counsel in the courtroom. We know your reputation is your livelihood. That’s why we dedicate our own passion, experience and resources to your client’s fight for justice. You can count on our legal team - and your client’s case - to be trial-ready. Together, we are one. Together, we fight. Thank you for trusting Coker Law. It’s your reputation; We uphold it. OFFICES-JACKSONVILLENext >