NEW FEE ASSESSED TO NONRESIDENT ATTORNEYS GENERATES $393,500 FOR LEGAL AID

AUSTIN, Texas – A new fee assessed to out-of-state attorneys who participate in Texas court proceedings has generated $393,500 for civil legal aid for the poor. The funds will be administered by the Texas Equal Access to Justice Foundation and will be granted on a yearly basis to legal aid providers statewide. The funds will be used to provide legal assistance in civil matters, such as family law, housing and income maintenance.

The 78th Texas Legislature enacted House Bill 462, which requires a $250 fee from nonresident attorneys who request permission to practice in Texas courts. The state began collecting the fee on September 1, 2003. The state fiscal year ended August 31, 2004.

“We were pleasantly surprised at the level of funding generated by the new fee,” Betty Balli Torres, Texas Equal Access to Justice Foundation executive director, said. “This is proof positive that in order to increase legal services for the poor, we must tap into innovative and creative funding sources.”

When the nonresident attorney fee was implemented, it was expected to generate approximately $200,000 per year.

The Texas Equal Access to Justice Foundation (www.teajf.org), created by the Supreme Court of Texas in 1984, is the largest state-based funding source for the provision of civil legal services to poor Texans.  The organization is committed to the vision that all Texans will have equal access to justice, regardless of their income.

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