Civil legal aid is good for the economic return in Wisconsin

Research released shows that for every dollar invested in civil legal aid in Wisconsin, the economy receives a return of $8.40. The finding comes from a study commissioned by the Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation, Inc. (WisTAF) and conducted by The Resource for Great Programs, Inc. (The Resource).

“Everyone should be able to access solutions to legal problems, regardless of their income,” said WisTAF executive director Rebecca L. Murray. “This study paints the most complete picture we’ve ever had, of how much Wisconsin benefits, when people of limited means have meaningful access to the legal system. Civil legal aid is often a missing piece people need to keep their families safe or stand on their own two feet.”

Civil legal aid refers to providing legal assistance to people who can’t afford to hire an attorney, but are facing life-altering issues related to civil law. Unlike in criminal legal matters, there is generally no guarantee of an attorney for someone facing a civil issue, such as need for a restraining order; protection of rights related to health and safety, shelter or financial independence; or determining child custody or guardianship.

Beginning in early 2022, The Resource gathered 2021 data, from 12 participating civil legal aid providers. Together, the providers received 96 percent of civil legal aid funding in Wisconsin. Researchers combined case data with numbers from trusted government and other publicly available sources.

They then calculated economic impact, using proprietary financial models derived from their previous studies. Impacts fell into four categories, where clients avoided catastrophic circumstances that would have cost $18 million in emergency services paid for by governments, charities, lending institutions and others; recovered $73 million in rightful assets or income, such as child support, healthcare coverage, and veterans’ benefits; recovered $14 million in Medicare and Medicaid payments for healthcare providers; and the state’s economy received a boost of $71 million from the economic multiplier impact of assets brought into Wisconsin, and spent throughout the state, leading to revenue for businesses, which translates to jobs for Wisconsin workers.

The Resource also found civil legal aid is a catalyst for increasing the effectiveness of other charitable and government efforts.