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News Release
Texas Access to Justice Foundation AUSTIN, Texas––
“Helping struggling Texans
obtain assistance with civil legal matters is not just necessary for our
democracy to thrive, it’s the right thing to do,” Texas Supreme Court Chief
Justice Nathan Hecht, said. “We thank our legislators for supporting our
efforts to increase funding for legal services, especially following the
trying past year. Legal aid is fundamental to ensuring justice for all
citizens of this great state.”
Since the beginning
of the pandemic, requests for legal help by eligible Texans has increased by
as much as 35%, most notably in cases involving evictions and foreclosures,
domestic violence and employment issues. While COVID-19 pushed many already
vulnerable Texans further into financial and physical danger, it also caused
many to have to seek legal aid for the first time. The statewide legal aid
website, TexasLawHelp.org, has seen a historic increase in searches for
legal information––including an almost 1,500% increase in web traffic for
unemployment help.
As part of a
statewide opioid settlement, the additional $5 million will enable legal aid
providers to help Texans impacted by addiction with a broad range of civil
legal issues; including health benefits, child support and custody,
guardianship, domestic violence, housing, employment and others.
“We thank the
Legislature for their bi-partisan support of civil legal in Texas,” said
Deborah Hankinson, Chair of the Board of Texas Access to Justice Foundation.
“We particularly acknowledge Senator Joan Huffman, Representative
Mary Gonzalez and Representative Justin Holland for their work on these
critical issues facing legal aid clients.” While legal aid currently helps more than 140,000 Texas families each year, only about 10% of the essential legal needs of disadvantaged Texans are being met due to a lack of resources. Legal aid helps spouses and children of domestic abuse; elderly wrongly denied life-sustaining prescriptions; veterans denied critical medical care, disability and other benefits; survivors of sexual assault and families who have lost their homes. To qualify for legal aid, an individual cannot earn more than $16,100 per year. A family of four must not earn more than $33,125 per year. This effort is crucial as civil legal aid is a vital component of the public response to and recovery from the pandemic. -30-
Kimberly Schmitt
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