Timothy Cook needed help fast: His home was on the brink of foreclosure, and the six relatives and friends who lived with him were at risk of being put on the street during the coldest weather in years.

Cook was desperate to find a lawyer who could buy him some time. Because he had no job, he turned to a free legal-assistance center.

"Hopefully, maybe, God willing, I'll find an attorney who will do this pro bono for me," Cook said after getting some quick advice from the center at the county courthouse.

But that kind of help may not be available much longer. Public defenders and legal aid programs are facing their deepest budget cuts in years just as the recession creates more demand for their services.

"The courts may be facing a 'perfect storm' of funding shortfalls," according to a report from the National Center for State Courts.

All but a handful of states are dealing with budget deficits, and court systems across the nation are on the chopping block: