WILMINGTON, Del. - On Wednesday, Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced the launch of the new Legal Abortion Helpline. The Helpline will provide free legal advice and guidance to anyone in Delaware, including people seeking an abortion and healthcare providers and organizations providing support for abortion patients.
This comes after the Supreme Court’s Dobb’s v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling, which allows states to interfere with women’s access to reproductive services, and the Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, which protected women’s constitutional right to abortion.
Now, nearly a dozen law firms and several nonprofit and advocacy groups including the ACLU of Delaware, Planned Parenthood of Delaware, the First State Abortion Fund, Delaware NOW (National Organization for Women), Black Mothers in Power, the Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice, and Women’s March Sussex are supporting Jennings’ initiative.
“Abortion is legal in Delaware, but millions of women in our sister states face legal and medical peril because of their states’ draconian abortion laws,” said Jennings. “Our Abortion Legal Helpline is 100% free, completely confidential, and ready to help anyone — be they residents of our state, visitors, or providers.”
Calls to the Helpline are anonymous. Callers will be asked to leave a message with their question, a callback number, and instructions for when and how they’d like to be contacted. People can also submit written questions online at de.gov/abortionhelpline.
The Delaware Department of Justice manages the Helpline’s team of lawyers. Intake for questions and referrals will be jointly handled by the Department of Justice and the ACLU of Delaware. Legal questions will be answered on a pro bono basis by attorneys in partner law firms, while service and support referrals will be referred to partner nonprofits including Planned Parenthood of Delaware and the First State Abortion Fund.
“Planned Parenthood of Delaware is grateful to the Department of Justice and the numerous private attorneys who have offered their assistance,” said Ruth Lytle-Barnaby, president of Planned Parenthood of Delaware. “As states attack reproductive rights like never before, offering protections and resources for patients and providers is more important than ever.
The Attorney General’s Abortion Legal Hotline can be reached at (302) 992-8096 or toll-free at (877) 312-2366.