Home News Federal Leaders Need to Know How Co...

Federal Leaders Need to Know How Costly It Would Be to Cut Legal Aid

Carol Starkey was quoted in the Boston Globe article “Federal Leaders Need to Know How Costly It Would Be to Cut Legal Aid,” which was published on June 14, 2017. An excerpt from the article is below. To read the full article, visit the Boston Globe website. Simply put, investing in civil legal aid programs […]

Carol Starkey was quoted in the Boston Globe article “Federal Leaders Need to Know How Costly It Would Be to Cut Legal Aid,” which was published on June 14, 2017.

An excerpt from the article is below. To read the full article, visit the Boston Globe website.

Simply put, investing in civil legal aid programs pays dividends by avoiding back-end costs. The Boston Bar Association’s report “Investing in Justice” showed that taking a preventive approach to legal issues would help families, save government funds, and ensure fairness in our justice system.

As the chief justice pointed out, many legal aid clients are facing eviction and foreclosure. The Boston Bar’s report concluded that for every dollar spent on civil legal aid in housing cases, the government stands to save $2.69 on the costs of other public services, such as emergency shelter, health care, foster care, and law enforcement. This data has convinced Massachusetts legislators to give meaningful increases to legal aid year over year.

Gants eloquently states that Legal Services is so vital to our democracy that its elimination would warrant the removal of the phrase “with liberty and justice for all” from the Pledge of Allegiance. If this most fundamental form of persuasion cannot convince leaders in Washington, perhaps stating it in terms of simply saving money will.

Share with your network:

How Can We Help?

Contact us today for a solution best suited to your legal needs.