Sargent Shriver Program Helps Litigants Who Can’t Afford Attorneys

• According to a recent nationwide study, 92% percent of low-income Americans reported they don't get enough legal help on issues that have a "substantial impact" on them
  
• During the five-year period from fiscal years 2019-20 to 2023-24. the Shriver program served 16,000 clients-85% received legal assistance in housing cases
  
• Shriver program currently operates 14 projects in 11 counties, which help litigants with legal issues such as housing, child custody, guardianship/conservatorship, and restraining orders

Recent cuts to federal funding and grants have made a significant impact on many local assistance programs in California and around the country. Those programs include the Survivor Justice Center in Los Angeles, which provides attorneys for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. The center's attorneys help their clients with restraining orders, housing, child custody, and other legal issues.

"Funding cuts have been devastating," said Carmen McDonald, the center's executive director. "We've taken a 25% hit to our funding, and as a result we've been forced to make layoffs and offer less services."

Andrea Martinez, from Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County, agrees that funding cuts threaten those who struggle to gain access to legal services. "Every week we meet tenants on the verge of losing their homes with no one to guide them through the process. There are already more families at risk of eviction than there are attorneys to represent them, and with looming federal cuts to civil legal services, that gap will only grow."

Shriver Program Helps Meet the Need for Legal Services
The Sargent Shriver Civil Counsel program has helped to offset the decrease in federal funding by supporting California projects that provide legal representation and improve court services to low-income parties on critical legal issues affecting basic human needs. Shriver funding supports legal services in housing-related matters (unlawful detainer), child custody, guardianship of the person, probate conservatorship, domestic violence restraining orders, civil harassment restraining orders, and elder abuse cases.

"Shriver is our largest funder and is core to supporting our family law practice," added McDonald. "Representation matters more than ever, and Shriver has been instrumental in ensuring survivors have access to justice."

Shriver Annual Report Provides Glimpse of Legal Services Recipients
Since 2012, the Shriver program has provided legal assistance in more than 53,000 civil cases, benefiting nearly 150,000 household members across California.

The most recent report on the Shriver program describes its services and their impact over a period of five years (from fiscal years 2019-20 to 2023-24). That reporting period included the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which placed unprecedented stress on low-income Californians and increased their need for legal services, including housing issues.

The report showed that:

• About 2 out of 3 Shriver housing clients had an income that placed them in the "severe rent-burdened" category, paying more than 50% of their income in rent
  
• Almost 75% of housing clients did not live in subsidized housing and paid market value in rent
  
• The Shriver program served 16,000 clients in the reporting period-85% received representation or unbundled legal services in housing cases

"Shriver was already a critical service provider in the region, even with multiple coalitions working alongside us," added Martinez. "Now, as those programs face collapse, Shriver may become the only safety net keeping Los Angeles County in this fight. Looking ahead, as we brace for deeper cuts and compounding crises, continued investment in Shriver funding will be vital to preserving access to justice for low-income tenants and ensuring that entire communities are not left to face eviction alone."

Positive Impacts of Legal Services
In eviction cases, tenants typically have just five days to respond to an eviction complaint or risk losing their home by default. During the study period for the report, Shriver clients saw almost no defaults-85% of cases were settled or dismissed before trial.

Representation also led to better settlements, often helping tenants secure time to relocate or obtain alternative housing if necessary. Shriver attorneys can also help to ensure clients gain important settlement terms to prevent economic hardship, including records being sealed, information not reported to credit agencies, and an adjustment of their move-out date.

In child custody cases, which are complex and require significant attorney time, families represented by Shriver attorneys were less likely to return to court after two years than those who were unrepresented, indicating greater stability and fewer drawn-out disputes.

And in restraining order cases, Shriver project attorneys helped clients obtain final restraining orders in 80% of cases.

"It's important to build court partnerships and "show the math" through the evaluations," said Salena Copeland, executive director for the Legal Aid Association of California. "By highlighting the results, we can show what happens when you change court processes and provide legal help."

Court Self-Help Centers Offer Guidance for Litigants Without Access to Attorneys
In addition to giving litigants access to attorneys, the Shriver program also helps forge partnerships between legal aid organizations and local superior courts to provide unrepresented litigants with self-help and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services.

Shriver-funded self-help services extend the program's reach by improving access for all litigants, regardless of role or income; strengthening court-legal services partnerships; and supporting those who don't need full legal representation. While service models vary, the core benefit is consistent: unrepresented litigants are provided with critical information and assistance, and courts see fewer errors, improving efficiency.

For example, in guardianship and conservatorship cases, many litigants exceed the income thresholds for legal services but still cannot navigate probate court alone. Shriver-funded probate facilitators bridge this gap with self-help services that help people file petitions and complete the complex paperwork, ensuring access to justice even without a lawyer.

Self-Help Center Customers Give Service High Marks
To evaluate the impact of self-help services, providers asked users to complete a brief post-visit survey. Results included:

Housing Law:

• 146 survey respondents
• 96% of tenants satisfied
• 100% of landlords satisfied
• Client comment: "They gave me confidence to handle the landlord, so I did not feel afraid of the situation. Every time I called with a question, they helped me."

Family Law

• 55 respondents
• 98% satisfied
• Client comment: "I am so grateful for the program. I don't know how I would have ever been able to get my legal affairs organized without it."

Probate Law

• 24 respondents
• 87% satisfied
• Client comment: "[The provider] made this overwhelming task a lot easier for [me]. I am so thankful for their help!

Judicial Council's Shriver Implementation Committee
The council's Shriver Civil Counsel Act Implementation Committee makes recommendations on the selection and funding of projects that provide legal representation to low-income parties in civil matters involving critical issues affecting basic human needs. Projects are operated by qualified legal services organizations, in partnership with their local superior courts. The committee also provides input into evaluation of the pilot projects, which is reported to the Legislature every five years.

More information on Shriver Civil Counsel Act program