Study finds legal aid yields seven-fold return on investment.

With funding for civil legal aid in Florida at its lowest point in 10 years, a new study shows that every dollar spent on civil legal services for the state's low-income residents yields more than $7 in economic impacts.

Commissioned by The Florida Bar Foundation, the study found that 33 Florida nonprofit civil legal aid organizations produced $600 million in economic impact with $83 million in total funding from sources including the Foundation, the Legal Services Corporation, local governments, donors, and others in 2015. Florida Bar President Bill Schifino praised the role Bar members play in providing pro bono services, but said more can be done.

The study was released February 2 at press conferences in Miami and St. Petersburg and was presented February 3 at the Supreme Court's Commission on Access to Civil Justice.

"Equal justice under law is not only a basic underpinning of our democracy; it's also good economic policy," said Florida Bar Foundation President Matthew G. Brenner. "This study adds to a large body of empirical data--from Florida as well as other states--that clearly demonstrates that society at large benefits when the rights of the poorest and most vulnerable among us are protected."

One of the largest economic impacts of civil legal aid results from assistance in obtaining the federal benefits, child support, wages, and unemployment compensation to which Florida residents are entitled, income that is in turn spent within Florida. The federal benefits obtained for legal aid clients include:

* $120.6 million in Social Security benefits;

* $70.7 million in Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements; and

* $2.7 million in veterans' benefits. With civil legal aid helping capture $264.3 million in such income and reimbursements for Floridians, Florida businesses are estimated to have experienced $274.8 million in increased income in 2015. Investment in civil legal aid also is estimated to have generated 2,243 new jobs.

Not only does civil legal aid put dollars directly into the economy, it also saves money for the government, businesses, nonprofits, clients, and others in a variety of ways. The study found that:

* $2.9 million in costs for emergency shelter were avoided for low-income families who, with the assistance of legal aid advocates, were able to avoid eviction or gain time to seek alternative housing;

* $50.6 million in foreclosure costs were avoided by low-income homeowners, lenders, neighbors, and local governments;

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