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Funding for legal aid programs in Florida is closely tied to the interest rate…which is virtually nothing on savings accounts these days. As Mike Vasilinda shows us in this next story, the result has been staff cuts, lawyers fired, and fewer cases getting help.

“We had to lay off almost half our staff” is how Florida Legal Services Director Ann Swerlick started our tour of her office.

As a result, a lot of the offices at Florida Legal Services are empty,

“The work has not gone away. We are desperately trying to do more with less.

Q:” No lawyers but lots of cases still?”

“Lots of cases.” says Swerlick

The problem is low interest rates. The interest lawyers earn on other peoples money has gone to fund legal aid in the past…but 90 percent of it has dried up as rates dropped.

“Thousands of Floridians who can’t afford lawyers are getting turned away from legal aid because their staffs are reduced” says Swerlick, who took over the job two months ago,

One proposed solution…raising the dues paid by lawyers from two to three hundred dollars a year. 500 lawyers led by a former Supreme Court Justice asked for the hike, which raises ten million. But the State Supreme Court said no.

The legal community has consistently said funding help for the poor is society’s problem, and lawyers should;t be the only ones picking up the tab.

The court wants to wait for a study due next year. By then there will be fewer lawyers helping the poor and middle class.

“Whether its access to health care, housing, basic sustenance such as food, Lawyers can be critical to making that happen” says Swerlick.

To qualify for legal services, a family of four would have to earn just under 30 thousand dollars a year.