LA County Superior Court Offers $35,000 Buyouts to Staff Amid Budget Shortfall

The Los Angeles County Superior Court is offering eligible employees a one-time payment of $35,000 to resign as part of a new Voluntary Separation Incentive Program. The initiative, announced Friday, aims to cut operating expenses and address a substantial budget shortfall that threatens court operations.

The program, set to begin on September 21, is available to full-time court employees who have at least five years of continuous service. Those who opt for the buyout must resign on or before December 24 of this year and will be ineligible for rehire at the court for one year. The court stated that vacated positions will be entirely eliminated to ensure ongoing savings.

According to Presiding Judge Sergio C. Tapia II, the court is facing a situation where operational costs are exceeding available budget resources, similar to the financial pressures faced by residents with rising living expenses. The buyout program is intended to stabilize the court's budget and potentially prevent layoffs or furloughs in the 2026-2027 fiscal year.

Despite receiving partial inflationary adjustments in the state budget, the court's projected costs, including vendor contracts, county services, custodial expenses, and salary increases, are expected to surpass state funding by approximately $9.1 million for the current fiscal year. The court also faces an $88 million deficit due to cumulative state inflationary funding falling short of the California Department of Finance's calculated need since the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

Based on metrics from the Judicial Council of California, the court is currently underfunded by $233.7 million, which is needed to manage its caseload of 1.3 million annual filings. The court's funding is operating at 76.77% of its calculated need, the lowest level since 2021 and representing a deficit equivalent to approximately 1,900 staff positions.

"Parting ways with dedicated and talented staff is never something we take lightly... But with our funding continuing to fall short of what it takes to sustain critical court operations, we are hopeful that enough employees will choose to voluntarily separate," said David W. Slayton, executive officer/clerk of court.

Court officials have cautioned the public to anticipate operational delays and reduced service levels as staffing is reduced. Potential disruptions include longer wait times at service windows, slower responses from call centers, and delays in processing legal documents. The Superior Court previously implemented a similar buyout program in 2024, which resulted in approximately $4 million in recurring annual savings.