The office is located on between 2nd and 3rd streets on Van Matre Avenue in Building 2, across the street from the Military and Family Readiness Center and just down the street from the MPF.

Mailing Address
Legal Office
501 W. Van Matre Ave., Bldg 2, Suite 1
Eglin AFB, FL 32542-5487

Phone
Comm 850-882-4612 or 4613
DSN 872-4612 or 4613

Hours of Operation
Monday 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Tuesday 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. (no power of attorney/notary walk-ins from 1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.)
Wednesday 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. (no power of attorney/notary walk-ins from 9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.)
Thursday 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (no power of attorney/notary walk-ins from 9 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.)

Friday 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Eligibility
Eligible clientele categories: Active Duty, Retirees, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard members on Title 10 or Title 32 orders, Reserve members entitled to retired pay (“Gray-Area” Reservists do not qualify), and all associated dependents of the aforementioned categories. Additionally, deploying DoD Civilians and Foreign military personnel are entitled to limited services.

Powers of Attorney & Notary Service
POA and notary services are available on a walk-in basis during all hours of operation, except for Wednesdays from 9 a.m. – 11:30 and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m., due to our wills and legal assistance (counsel) walk-in hours.

Wills
Wills are BY APPOINTMENT ONLY on Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. and can be made online, MS Bookings - Eglin Legal Will Appointments. Appointments for Active Duty members and their dependents can be scheduled two (2) weeks out. Retirees and their dependents can schedule appointments three (3) days out for the Wednesday of that week. Unfortunately, there are NO walk-ins for wills at this time. If you are a deployer or have any emergent circumstance(s), please advise the Legal Office personnel when you call to make an appointment.

Legal Assistance Hours
Tuesday    2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (Active Duty & Active Duty Dependents Only)

Thursday  9:30 – 10:30 a.m.

With some planning, most people can usually handle their own affairs. However, there are times when you might need someone to act as your agent in your absence, to handle a particular piece of business. If you appoint someone to act for you, you do so by giving him or her your power of attorney. These documents are particularly useful for managing personal affairs during deployments.

A power of attorney is a legal document that allows another to conduct legal actions on your behalf (such as selling a house or registering a car) and can be either special (usually connected with a single transaction or event) or general (total power over another's legal affairs). Special powers of attorney are usually the best choice because they are drafted to fit individual needs on a one-time basis or for a limited period of time. The Legal Office is prepared to draft both.

The Legal Office provides legal services and advice absolutely free to all active duty personnel and their dependents along with Reservists and Guardsmen on federal active duty and their dependents. In addition, retired personnel, their dependents, and dependent survivors may also receive legal assistance to the extent personnel and facilities are available.

Air Force attorneys and paralegals can assist eligible personnel with wills, powers of attorney, notary service, or advice on personal civil legal matters such as adoption, domestic relations, landlord-tenant issues (for tenants only), tax assistance, and consumer law questions. Legal assistance officers are licensed attorneys who are assigned by the Air Force to advise and counsel members on personal legal problems.

Limitations on Legal Assistance

The Legal Assistance Program offers counseling for personal civil matters only. Legal assistance officers cannot represent clients in court, prepare or file documents with a court, nor can they advise persons who have hired a civilian attorney on the same subject matter. They cannot advise about criminal matters, or Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) related offenses, (active duty members with these issues should contact the Area Defense Counsel Office) nor can they assist someone to avoid paying a debt or advise someone regarding a private business and other outside employment. They are also prohibited from preparing personal legal documents on behalf of those eligible, except for wills, powers of attorney, and affidavits.

Deployment

Our primary goal and first priority is to ensure members and their families are prepared for deployment. That means the legal offices works with members to ensure everything is in order. This includes the preparation of wills, advance medical directives (living will and medical power of attorney), general/special powers of attorney, and assisting in arrangement to help support service members and their families.  If you or a family member is deploying soon, please attend our walk-in legal assistance hours or call our office to make an appointment. Please make every effort to visit our office or call and schedule an appointment as soon as possible after receiving deployment notification.

Wills and Estates

A will is a written legal declaration of how personal property should be distributed after death. The Legal Office can assist eligible military and family members in preparing a will.  Before making an appointment, members should review the Will Considerations For Military Families fact sheet and complete a Will Questionnaire Worksheet located on the Air Force Legal Assistance Website. 

To complete the worksheet, click on this link and select "Legal Worksheets" and click the "Create Will and Advance Medical Directive Worksheet" button. Please keep the ticket number that corresponds to the Will Worksheet (screenshot or copy), as a completed Worksheet is required in order to set up a will appointment. If you encounter issues with the website, or prefer to fill out a worksheet by hand, one can be located to the right of this section, in the resource “Library.”

LEGAL ASSISTANCE FEEDBACK

We are always striving to improve our customer service.  If you have visited our office recently for Legal Assistance, please take the time to complete our feedback survey located on the Air Force Legal Assistance Website.

Tax Center - 882-1040
The Tax Center provides free tax preparation for all members of Team Eglin to include military members, dependents, DoD civilians and retirees in the local area with some restrictions based on complexity of return.

The Tax Center is in Bldg. 451 on N. 2nd St just south-west of the McKinley Climatic Laboratory Hanger.  During tax season (Jan to April) it is open M-F, 8  to 11 a.m. and 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.  Wednesdays are reserved for 1040EZ easy return walk-in clients.  All other days require an appointment.

For more information regarding income taxes, please visit the Tax Resources tab on this page.