BCBA Expands Criminal Low Cost Referral Panel

The Broward County Bar Association, in cooperation with the Broward Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and Legal Aid Service of Broward County, Inc, has agreed to augment the existing criminal law referral program currently run by the BCBA.

Members of the Broward County Bar Association who would like to join the criminal law referral program. need only to pay a $75 annual fee to become part of this program. As you may know, the BCBA collects the $50.00 initial consultation fee before sending clients to an attorney’s office. The BCBA splits the initial consultation fee with the attorney, although many participating attorneys have agreed to waive their portion. Malpractice insurance is also required.

At the same time, the BCBA is expanding the LOW COST Criminal Referral Program in an effort to help those clients who call Legal Aid for legal assistance in a criminal matter. (Legal Aid does not provide criminal legal services.)

The new criminal LOW COST referral program will likewise require BCBA membership. There will be no additional cost to join the LOW COST program. No malpractice insurance will be required either, as Legal Aid will provide insurance coverage to attorneys accepting low cost criminal referrals from the BCBA.

Practitioners of criminal law who join the REGULAR criminal referral panel will be automatically enrolled in the Low Cost program unless he/she opts out.

The attorney on the LOW COST panel may collect a $500 retainer for felonies and DUI’s or $250 for a misdemeanor. The attorney agrees to work for $70.00 per hour with a maximum fee of $3,000 for a felony or DUI and a maximum fee of $1,500 on all other misdemeanors.

All referrals from Legal Aid will be screened to determine eligibility by asking for an affidavit (200% of poverty level, roughly $30,000 for a 4 person family). The Broward County Bar Association will not volunteer information about the Low Cost referral program unless asked by the caller or the client is referred to the Association by Legal Aid.

Both the LOW COST program and the REGULAR criminal law referral program will work on a rotation basis and not by geographical location. If for whatever reason the practitioner does not contact the caller by telephone or in person within 24 hours after the referral, the Association may refer the client to the next participating attorney on the appropriate Criminal Law panel.

Broward County Bar Association’s Low Cost Criminal Referral Program Application