Brevard County Legal Aid

cordially invites you and your guests to attend

Awards to be presented by our special guest

The Honorable John Antoon, II

United States District Judge

Middle District of Florida

Attorney of the Year

John B. Daly

Friday Evening, February 17th, 2012

Suntree Country Club

One Country Club Drive, Melbourne, Florida

Cocktails & Hors dÕoeuvres 6:00 p.m.

Dinner 7:00 p.m.

Choice of

Prime Rib of Beef

Herb Roasted Breast of Chicken

Roasted Pasta Primavera

$40.00 Per Person

Kindly Respond by noon, Friday, February 10th, 2012

(321) 631-2500 ext. 14

(No-shows will be billed)

If you are unable to attend, but wish to make a tax-deductible donation, please make your check payable to:

• Brevard County Legal Aid, Inc.

  and send to:

• 1038 Harvin Way, Suite 100, Rockledge, FL 32955

Map

Brevard County Legal Aid, Inc.
1038 Harvin Way, Suite 100
Rockledge, Florida
32955

$256,500 Set Aside to give
Free Legal Services

7:41 PM, Jan. 7, 2012
Written by: Don Walker, FLORIDA TODAY

The county will pay $256,500 to provide low-income residents free legal services this year, but Brevard County commissioners want the majority of those services to benefit victims of domestic violence and children.

The commission is expected to approve funding for indigent legal services during its regular meeting Tuesday. Counties are required to fund these services under Florida statute.

Brevard contracts with Brevard County Legal Aid Inc., a private non-profit agency in Rockledge. Executive director Robert Johnson said the agency assists as many as 2,000 clients a year.

"As far as access to the legal system for our clients, all of our clients are low-income. They stand to lose everything; custody of their kids, their homes, and they lose the opportunity to be self-sufficient and be productive members of our community. That's what it boils down to," Johnson said.

Money from the county amounts to about 33 percent of Brevard County Legal Aid's budget. It also receives money though the Florida Bar Foundation, various grants and United Way of Brevard. About 50 percent of its cases are handled pro bono, meaning attorneys take the cases on without charging a fee.

Income criteria to qualify for services through Legal Aid is about $28,000 for a family of four. There's great demand, Johnson said. About 8 out of 10 of those who qualify for services are turned away.

In 2007, Brevard County initiated a $65 court fee charged to people found guilty of felonies, misdemeanors and criminal traffic offenses. Of the amount collected, 25 percent goes toward legal fees for county residents unable to pay for legal services.

Brevard County Legal Aid has been providing legal services for the past 42 years to indigent residents.

"In terms of what people stand to lose in family-law cases, we take the cases where there's domestic violence or custody of minor children involved," Johnson said. "We also have a children's program where we represent kids abused, abandoned or neglected. We focus on family-law issues, and we get most requests for family law, housing and consumer."

Contact Walker at 321-242-3527 or dwalker@floridatoday.com.