As the first attorney from a 501c3 on the executive committee of the Florida Bar Family Law Section, Tenesia Hall has the unique position to present the legal aid perspective on the most pressing needs for Florida families. Hall is the family law litigation director for the private nonprofit Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association, Inc. (LASOCBA).
Passionate about her commitment to the family law section, which has more than 4,000 members and 24 committees, Hall has served in many leadership roles since she became a member in 2001. She is currently the executive committee’s treasurer and is scheduled to be its chair in 2026-2027. Proud to be the first active legal aid attorney to hold multi-year officer positions in the family law section’s 50-year history, Hall is also involved with many committees, including finance, long range planning, nominating, children’s issues, domestic violence and more.
“I love what we do as a section, it’s all about strengthening and helping Florida’s families. We provide resources and services on anything that affects Florida’s families in state family courts,” she said.
“I am most proud of the fact that I get to voice the concerns and the needs of Florida families who rely on legal aid legal services. I also bring a different perspective for what is needed for individuals who do not have attorneys and what they experience in court or for their paperwork. Over the years, I have worked on handbooks about divorce or domestic violence injunctions in Florida and I’ve offered feedback and made suggestions on pending family law legislation, among many other efforts.”
The family law section works closely with state legislators on topics dealing with family law and advocates its position on proposed pieces of legislation.
Some of the most impactful Florida law changes the family law section worked on recently went into effect July 1, 2023 and involved updates to alimony law and equal time sharing. “That is just one example of a significant change that intersects my work with the family law section and where LAS offers support,” she said.
Legal Aid Society Impact
“I get to change lives,” Hall said, of her work at LAS. As family law litigation director and lead Victims of Crime Act attorney, Hall handles family, guardianship, and dependency matters for legal aid clients, in addition to providing substantive trainings and technical assistance to pro bono attorneys. She also conducts community education and outreach.
Being engaged in the local legal community is important to Hall as a representative of legal aid services. She is an executive board member and past chair of OCBA’s family law committee, she is a member of the advisory workgroup on the Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Forms (a Florida Supreme Court Appointment), as well as a member of Florida Association for Women Lawyers, Paul C. Perkins Bar Association, Central Florida Family Law Inn, and the Collaborative Family Law Group of Central Florida.
“I can make systemic changes that can be generational changes for families. At LAS, I provide holistic legal representation to the clients, which means I don’t just take the one issue they came to me with; I troubleshoot and look for different issues. One recent client came in for advice about a divorce after 30 years of marriage, and I helped her understand what could change for her in practical terms of pensions or social security payments, so she could make the right decision for her future.”
Another case involved a client who took in her infant grandchild after her adult child was killed. “I helped her get the necessary court orders to allow her to care for her grandchild, including for medical needs and for victim’s compensation where she could help get burial expenses reimbursed from the attorney general’s office. We help many relatives who come to us needing to care for their niece, nephew or grandchild, and they need the court orders that allow them to enroll the child in school and get medical treatment.”
Family Law Legal Aid Priorities and Challenges
Family law has always been the greatest area of need at LAS, where Hall has devoted her career since 2001. “Family law representation to legal aid clients throughout the state, by us or through private attorneys who offer pro bono services, provide extremely helpful resources.”
The highest priorities for LAS regarding family law focus on the safety and security of victims of domestic violence, who make up the majority of LAS clients, Hall said, as well as stability for their families, and their self-sufficiency and economic stability.
The biggest challenge involves the ongoing lack of resources. “There is always going to be a greater need than there are people who can help,” Hall explained. “Not everyone can get an attorney, but courts are equipped to assist individuals who don’t have attorneys, with self-help centers and programs for self-represented litigants.”
Since the pandemic, Hall witnessed a difference in the types of clients. Individuals of all backgrounds, even doctors, became newly indigent and found themselves in need of, and qualified for, free legal services. “We saw a shift in the dynamic of population, but not the shift in need.”
“Every day, I strive to make a difference for families locally and statewide,” Hall said. She thrives on delivering tremendous advocacy and support. “I love what I do; it brings meaning to my life and to others.”
