St. Michael’s Legal Center for Women and Children, Inc. (SMLC), started in 2006, is a mission of Christ the King Catholic Church, Tampa. SMLC serves persons in Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota counties. SMLC does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, religion, or national origin.
Our Purpose
The main purpose of our firm is to provide legal advice and representation in the areas of Family Law, including child support, visitation, custody, and, under limited circumstances, dissolution of marriage.
St. Michael’s Legal Center for Women and Children strives to protect children and undergird family relationships. Even if parents are divorced or never married and no longer living together, they still need to work together in the best interests of their children. The family also needs financial support. These are some of the reasons SMLC also helps families post judgment.
What We Do
St. Michael’s Legal Center (SMLC) also provides advice and representation in other areas that impact client families economically, such as mortgage foreclosure defense and bankruptcy. SMLC serves families whose income does not exceed 125% of federal poverty guidelines: the indigent and working poor. SMLC’s overhead is underwritten by Christ the King Catholic Church. SMLC lawyers are volunteers, as are some staff. SMLC receives a limited amount in donations from lawyers and groups, which pays for our basic office supplies and other essentials. With these small contributions to overhead, SMLC estimates it has provided millions of dollars worth of professional services to its clients.
For the year 2024, the federal poverty guidelines at 125% are estimated to be as follows:
• Individual: $18,771
• Family of 2: $25,388
• Family of 3: $32,006
• Family of 4: $38,625
• Family of 5: $45,242
• Family of 6: $51,860
• Family of 7: $58,477
• Family of 8: $65,095
Why We Do What We Do
For any great society to sustain itself, its legal system must be open and accessible to all. The challenge for us in the legal system is to make our system fair and accessible to those who cannot afford legal services. This is the objective St. Michael’s Legal Center for Women and Children, Inc. strives to achieve.
St. Michael the Archangel was chosen as the patron of the Legal Center because, as the angel who drove Satan out of Heaven, he represents justice. St. Michael is often depicted with his foot firmly placed on the head of Satan.
Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world–he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
Rev 12:7-9