The Florida Supreme Court ruled Thursday attorneys shouldn’t have to pay an extra $100 in annual bar dues to fund legal services for the poor. Advocates say they’re in a financial crisis and already turning away domestic violence clients and others.
Kris Knab, executive director of Legal Services of North Florida, says a funding crisis is hurting clinics across the state and that’s having a domino effect.
“There’s a direct correlation between having access to civil legal services and lessening criminal activity, there’s a direct correlation to keeping neighborhood property values from declining when we’re keeping people in their homes instead of having vacant properties due to foreclosures.”
The Florida Bar opposed the ruling, arguing that while vital, legal aid should be borne by society, not a single profession.
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