This study tested whether legal representation of DV victim in child custody decisions leads to greater protections and visitation decisions when compared to those who are not represented. When individuals had legal representation, in comparison to those who did not have legal representation but who qualified for legal aid, the DV victim was 85 percent more likely to have denied visitation to the abusing parent and 77 percent more likely to have restrictions placed on the abusing parent’s visitation (if granted at all).
Policymakers and Funders
Expungement of Criminal Convictions: An Empirical Study
Researchers at the University of Michigan find that record clearing interventions improves wages and employment trajectories. They find that only 6.5 percent of those eligible for an expungement seek out an expungement. They also find that those who have obtained expungements have significantly lower crime rates than the general population.
Evaluation of the Sargent Shriver Civil Counsel Act (AB590) Housing Pilot Projects
This report evaluated the Sargent Shriver pilot projects, which provided representation to individuals involved child custody, guardianship, and housing cases. They find that having legal representation in each of these areas correlates with positive outcomes for the client.
Effects of Parental and Attorney Involvement on Reunification in Juvenile Dependency Cases
This study finds that parents who obtain legal representation in child welfare cases are more likely to have their children returned to them. And, if the father is present, this likelihood increases further.
Effective Child Support Policy for Low-Income Families: Evidence from Street Level Research
Waller and Plotnick perform a content analysis on qualitative research that studied how low-income parents interact with the child support system. They find that low-income parents prefer informal arrangements of child support over formal ones and do not comply with the support orders if they perceive them to be unfair, counterproductive, or punitive.
Medical-Legal Strategies to Improve Infant Health Care: A Randomized Trial
This study on medical-legal partnerships find that when parents have access to legal services, they are more likely to complete their child’s immunization schedule on time (p<0.01) at six and eight months. Further, those infants were more likely to have routine preventative care visits.
Comprehensive Services for Survivors of Human Trafficking: Findings From Clients in Three Communities
Researchers at the Urban Institute conducted interviews with survivors of human trafficking and social service providers. They find a large unmet need for legal services.
Addressing Social Determinants Of Health Through Medical-Legal Partnerships
Researchers at the National Center for Medical Legal Partnerships published a primer on the components of medical-legal partnerships and how they can address the intersections between health, social, and environmental issues. There are more than 300 MLPs nationally and they analyze the shared components of each.
Expanding Access to Justice with Social Impact Financing
Social Finance, a nonprofit that specializes in Pay for Success (PFS) models, conducted a study about how PFS could be used to scale effective legal aid programs. To do this, they conducted an assessment of the legal aid landscape, the evidence base, the capacity to scale, and the potential for public-private partnerships.
Reunification and Case Resolution Improvements in Office of Public Defense (OPD) Parents Representation Program Counties
By: Washington State Office of Public Defense. Published in: February 2010 Link to report Link to PDF This study finds that when parents have legal representation in child welfare proceedings, rates of reunification were higher. Highlights include: They examined “every… Read More ›
Legal Aid Research 