Slate, December 8, 2015: (Blog) Landlords Have an Edge in Eviction Cases. They Can Afford Lawyers, and Low-Income Renters Can’t.
“When a case arrives in court and only one side can retain legal counsel, the outcome tends to favor the side that can afford a lawyer. Due to cuts to legal-aid programs, low-income tenants are only very rarely able to bring legal representation to housing cases. By contrast, in many jurisdictions, 85 to 90 percent of landlords are backed by a lawyer.”