NCJ Number
120912
Date Published
1989
Length
141 pages
Annotation
This is a comparative study of three mechanisms for delivering legal services to poor persons: a legal services staff program and voucher and contract mechanisms.
Abstract
The study was conducted in Bexar County, Tex., which includes San Antonio. The study was designed to compare the performance of the delivery mechanisms in handling three types of divorce cases reflecting various levels of complexity: uncontested divorces; contested divorces involving some dispute other than child custody, without domestic violence; and contested divorces involving some dispute other than child custody, with domestic violence. Both the contract and voucher mechanisms provide for private attorneys to receive reduced fees to represent indigent clients. The study's primary data collection instrument was the case service report. This instrument was completed by both the project administrator during intake interviews with clients and by each client's attorney (case closure information). Findings suggest that the quality of defense services for the poor could by improved through peer review based on criteria reflecting program priorities and client needs. The study indicates that vouchers, when limited to representation in non-complex divorce cases, can be used. Efforts to determine the comparative cost of service of the three mechanisms largely failed because the study did not capture the full economic costs of each mechanism in a way that allowed direct comparisons of those costs. Additional study is required before policy recommendations can be offered. 9 tables, 63 references, appended data instruments.