The Truth
Legal Services programs work to:
• Help victims of domestic violence escape abuse;
• Preserve homes and improve housing conditions;
• Protect and improve household income for families and
seniors;
• Fight for access to medical care and coverage in federal
programs;
• Recruit and train private lawyers to donate their time,
money and services in order to increase access and to reduce the
overall costs.
Legal Services programs do not:
• Provide representation in criminal matters;
• Provide representation in personal injury, medical
malpractice or other tort cases;
• Get involved in partisan politics.
Legal Services programs restrict their services to clients in
need.
For example, approximately $24,000 in gross annual income would be
the maximum for a family of four to qualify for services. The
median annual household income for legal services clients served is
$11,000.
More than 3.2 million people in North Carolina qualify for Legal
Services help, more than 34% of the population. National studies
show that 80% of civil legal needs of poor people are unmet.
Legal Services programs resolve more than 70% of its cases outside
of court. These programs effectively solve client problems
while conserving state resources by not further burdening the court
system.
Legal Services programs bring tens of thousands of dollars to
North Carolina to ameliorate the ravages of poverty. Through
its community education efforts and availability across the state,
legal services programs assist low-income North Carolinians with
concerns about federal benefits, such as social security,
disability and housing. These efforts both help ensure access
to justice for low income North Carolinians and bring additional
monies to the state.