Community Economic Development Unit

About CED: Empowering Economic Growth

How CED Legal Assistance Helps

Removing Barriers: Small businesses and nonprofits can succeed based on their merits, not their ability to afford costly legal representation.
Supporting Self-Sufficiency, Not Dependency: CED provides tools and resources for sustainable success, empowering individuals to grow and strengthen their organizations for the long term, not just one-time assistance.
Enhancing Credibility and Access: Having legal representation gives clients an edge. Organizations represented by an attorney are often taken more seriously, whether negotiating contracts or addressing disputes. Furthermore, when applying for grants or loans, the involvement of legal counsel signals to funders and lenders that the business is stable, well-protected, and committed to growth.
Preventing Premature Failure: Quality legal help should be proactive, not reactive. Many entrepreneurs avoid hiring attorneys until problems arise, often leading to costly damage control. We help businesses avoid this by providing timely legal support before issues escalate. If an issue has already escalated, we address it quickly, economically, and pragmatically.
Strengthening Nonprofits: Community donors can trust that their contributions to our represented nonprofits enhance their operational capacity. This allows these nonprofits to provide critical services to low-income populations more effectively, without operating without legal assistance or diverting limited resources to costly attorney’s fees.
Connecting to Resources: Clients gain access to free business mentoring, educational programs, and microgrant opportunities to assist with areas beyond legal assistance with our trusted partners.

CED Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for free legal services, the organization must meet the following criteria:

WHO: A startup or established nonprofit or small business.

WHERE: Located in or providing significant services in Collier or Broward County.

INCOME: Small businesses must be owned by low- to moderate-income individuals (defined as earning up to 140% of the Area Median Income [AMI] in their county, according to HUD*) as reflected in the gross income on their most recent full year’s Federal Tax Return. Nonprofits must provide vital services to low-income individuals or communities and be unable to afford legal services.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS: Legal Aid may also consider other factors, such as whether the organization is:

Serving a distressed community
Employs low-income employees
Capacity of our nonprofit law firm to handle the matter
Legal Aid’s current service priorities

*Broward County Income Levels for CED applicable as of April 1, 2024:

Household Size	140% AMI Broward
1 person	$81,200
2 persons	$92,820
3 persons	$104,440
4 persons	$115,920
5 persons	$125,300
6 persons	$134,540

*Collier County Income Levels for CED applicable as of April 1, 2024:

Household Size	140% AMI Collier
1 person	$102,340
2 persons	$116,900
3 persons	$131,530
4 persons	$146,160
5 persons	$157,920
6 persons	$169,610

Scope of Services

CED attorneys act as corporate or in-house counsel for clients addressing legal needs within certain practice area including, but not limited to:
Incorporating a small business or nonprofit
Entity selection and limiting liability
Business governing agreements (e.g. draft or review bylaws, operating agreement)
Tax-exempt status for nonprofits, and board governance trainings to maintain it
Contract drafting/ review/negotiation
Independent contractor agreements
Contractor versus employee guidance
Fictitious name/ DBA advice and registration
Instructions on filing annual reports and other required state filings
Commercial lease drafting/ review/negotiation/ renegotiation
Succession planning for businesses
Florida and federal trademark advice and registration
Non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements
Non-compete agreements
Business acquisition assistance
Dispute resolution
Referrals to local free or low-cost business counseling services

Client Success

CED’s small business clients have included restaurants, spas, manufacturers, consultants, caterers, food trucks, fitness centers, preschools, and more. Nonprofit clients have included those dedicated to feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, childcare for low-income families, healthcare services, human rights, books for low-income students, affordable housing, housing for children and adults with disabilities, resources for migrant and immigrant families, the environment, hurricane relief, and more.

Click here to apply now