FAQs

Pensacola Youth Advocacy Project is currently accepting cases for children who are facing juvenile delinquency charges and children who are being charged as adults. PYAP offers holistic representation to accepted clients, meaning efforts will be made to assist with secondary legal needs such as education or family law matters, and non-legal needs such as basic needs assistance and referrals for mental health counseling.

PYAP also provides holistic attorney ad litem representation to children who have been found to have been abused, abandoned, or neglected and have an open dependency case. These cases are accepted by court-appointment only.

Lastly, PYAP serves dually-involved youth, or children who have active cases in both dependency and delinquency. PYAP is uniquely situated to provide comprehensive representation to a child in all legal arenas. One child, one attorney, all legal needs.

Thank you for being interested in contributing to Pensacola Youth Advocacy Project. Your support—whether through a financial donation or by volunteering—both play vital roles in empowering youth and creating lasting positive change in our community.

Volunteers or unpaid interns are currently needed in the following areas: social media, website design, grant writing, and fundraising.

If your case is accepted for services you will be represented by a licensed attorney. Read more about PYAP’s Attorney.

If you are an adult facing criminal charges and are indigent (you earn an income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines), you will qualify for a free court-appointed attorney. This is typically offered through the Office of the Public Defender. You can apply for this free attorney by contacting the Escambia County Clerk of Court. More information can be found here.

If you are an adult facing criminal charges and have the ability to pay your own legal fees, you can contact another private attorney to ask about their services and fees. You may search for local attorneys who practice criminal law on the Florida Bar Website.

If you have a civil case, you can contact Legal Services of North Florida for help, search for local attorneys on the Florida Bar Website who practice the type of law you need, or contact the Florida Bar Foundation Lawyer Referral Service.

Please visit 211.org for an extensive list of local service providers for a variety of issues. Also see this Resources page.