New York boosts pay for legal defenders of children and the indigent in latest state budget
The New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) has praised the recent state budget approval, which secures increased compensation for 18-B attorneys who represent children and indigent adults in criminal and family courts.
This decision comes after a significant push from the NYSBA, including a lawsuit filed at the end of 2022 to address long-standing inadequate pay rates for these essential legal services.
Previously, lawyers outside New York City received only $60 per hour for misdemeanors and $75 for felonies — rates that had not been raised in nearly two decades. This low compensation led to a shortage of lawyers willing to take on such cases, compromising the quality of legal defense for some of the most vulnerable populations.