Sample Models / Legal Self-Help

Below are model collaborations with legal self-help clinics.

• Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, Miami-Dade County
  
• Lake County (Illinois) Center for Self-Representation
  
• Minnesota Judicial Branch, Hennepin County
  
• Waukesha County Family Court Self-Help Web site
  
• Wisconsin Court System Self-Help Family Web site

 

Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, Miami-Dade County

The Family Court Self Help Project was initiated in 1994 through a coalition of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit and the Dade County Bar's Legal Aid Society to increase access to the court for the many pro se parties involved in family court. The project provides packets containing all forms necessary for divorce and other family court matters, for a fee.

Litigants receive help with their packets, forms are reviewed for completeness, and instructions on court procedures are provided.

A Child Support, Paternity, Custody, and Visitation Packet is available.

Program staff also will share information about other family court programs which the litigant, spouse (husband or wife) and/or children may be required to attend, such as family mediation and parenting courses. If the family is in need of social services, staff can refer them to appropriate programs in Miami-Dade County.

Most Family Court Self Help Project staff are fluent in Spanish.

Lake County (Illinois) Center for Self-Representation

This Center for Self-Representation (CSR) Web site offers information and public resources, with a special focus on people representing themselves in court (pro se litigants). Its Web site has bilingual resources in Spanish and English, and covers three areas related to child support:

1. Family Court Referral List
   Judges hearing cases involving custody and visitation in family court can secure the assistance of a mental health professional to make an evaluation of the family situation and make recommendations to the court on the best interest and welfare of a child who is the subject of a custody proceeding.

The Referral List is a list of mental health professionals or Attorney-Mediators who have completed the training and qualifications and have been approved by the chief judge.

2. Family Parenting Program
   The purpose of the Family Parenting Program is to offer an educational experience to parents with minor children who have filed for dissolution of marriage, and to parents with minor children who are parties to post-judgment custody or visitation petitions, within Lake County.
3. Family Mediation Program
   The Family Mediation Program in Lake County provides divorcing parents the opportunity to submit custody, visitation, and removal disputes to mediation before proceeding to a contested hearing before the court.

Minnesota Judicial Branch, Hennepin County

This court offers these online resources for those who are representing themselves:

• Basics on Child Support.
  
• Forms on Child Support.
  
• Child Support Calculator (DHS Web site).
  
• Laws, Rules & More Resources on Child Support.
  
• Self-Help Services in Your Local Court.

Waukesha County Family Court Self-Help Web Site

This Web site offers family court information and public resources, with a special focus on people representing themselves.

Resources and assistance are available in family court matters including divorce and child support, placement, and custody. Services include the following:

• Procedural Information, such as checklists, frequently asked questions, a glossary of family law terms, and general tips on self-representation.
  
• Legal Assistance, including an attorney roster and legal research links.
  
• Forms and Instructions specifically written for those who choose to represent themselves in family court matters.
  
• Community Resources, including a directory of community agencies and information on agencies that offer alternatives to court action, such as mediation.

In this county, a clinic operates in the County Administrative Building and has one full-time staff member who can help people complete family court forms. The clinic also has several computers on which people may look up forms.

Wisconsin Court System Self-Help Family Web Site

This Web site is designed to guide citizens through the process of obtaining a pro se divorce or legal separation action. It includes some information on child support.