Sure, and all this is why I left L&T practice, but then legal aid still doesn’t have a leg to stand on to complain that they are overworked and underpaid when they could prioritize those cases where real defenses exist on the facts, against actual slumlords who are breaking the law.

They are incentivized to take this tact as to all cases, however, as they are in a position that benefits uniquely from delay since it allows their client to remain in possession without paying legal fees and often without paying rent.

When LL attnys delay it prejudices their clients who are actually paying legal fees, such that the cost of litigation is weighed against the benefit of proceeding with a frivolous case.

Ultimately, and this is what I would always discuss with the legal aid attorneys outside of court, the system benefits the attorneys on both sides. Legal aid just likes to take a bit more umbrage, in my experience.