Civil Legal Aid Yields $7 Return on Every $1 Invested, LSC Economic Brief Shows
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The ˶’s (LSC) new research brief, “The Economic Case for Civil Legal Aid,” shows the results of a systematic review of 56 economic impact studies conducted between 2003 and 2023. Every study found a positive return on investment for civil legal aid spending, with an average return of $7 for every $1 invested in these legal services.
The 56 independent evaluations included in the analysis examine the economic impact of statewide civil legal aid programs in 39 different states. The studies encompass a diverse array of legal issues, including housing, family law, employment, public benefits and consumer matters.
“The organizations that LSC funds do vital work in promoting access to justice across the United States, yet the value of their services extends far beyond individual clients and families,” says LSC President Ron Flagg. “When someone avoids a foreclosure, escapes domestic violence or recovers the wages they have earned, the economic impact ripples outwards, creating more economically healthy communities where low-income people can stay housed, pay their bills and avoid emergency services.”
The brief highlights four aspects of legal aid’s economic impact:
- Financial recovery for clients, in the form of things like recovered wages or benefits for veterans and people with disabilities. A 2016 study found that legal aid programs in Florida helped clients recover over $264.3 million in direct benefits, like recovered wages, child support and Social Security payments.
- Avoided costs represents the expenses that individuals, businesses and nonprofits are able to prevent due to legal intervention. A 2017 Iowa study found that civil legal aid helped domestic violence survivors avoid an estimated $11.6 million in healthcare, property damage and lost productivity costs.
- Taxpayer savings come from reducing the need for emergency services like shelters, medical care and law enforcement by addressing civil legal problems before they escalate and require intervention by costly public services. By preventing evictions and foreclosures, for example, civil legal aid reduces the need for emergency government assistance, which can cost thousands of dollars per family.
- Boosts to local economies occur when legal aid helps clients recover income or achieve financial stability. The clients will spend money within their local economy on rent, groceries, childcare, transportation and other necessities. Additionally, by helping people stay housed and employed and ending cycles of violence, legal aid enables more children to grow up in safe and stable families, making them more likely to stay in school, complete their education and pursue steady employment — building intergenerational economic resilience and reducing crime rates.
The brief explains that while methodologies vary and some benefits are difficult to quantify, the overall pattern is clear. Whether measured through cost-benefit analysis, multiplier modeling or social return on investment frameworks, civil legal aid consistently produces financial returns that exceed its cost. These returns are a product of legal aid’s core function: resolving issues that have both legal and economic dimensions.
To read the full brief and browse the original studies, visit .