Self-Help Services are Revolutionizing Access to Justice for Everyone

The Superior Court of Los Angeles County (the largest unified superior court in the United States) has done an excellent job of providing self-help and remote self-service options to court users and self-represented litigants (SRLs), many of whom lack the resources to hire attorneys.

Unfortunately, a significant segment of the public is unaware of these options and/or does not take full advantage of the court’s self-help centers for assistance.

In general, these services outline court procedures, legal aid referral information, and wide-ranging guidance on filling court forms.

While court-based self-help services are commonplace in many courts across the US - to educate the public on how the court system works, the challenges from COVID-19 (in 2020) compelled the Superior Court of Los Angeles County to transition to new and innovative remote options.

Assistance is provided in numerous languages and for various case types, such as divorce, parentage actions, unlawful detainer, restraining orders, and much more.           

Of interest also is the various legal aid agencies that contribute to aiding the court’s self-help services.

To name only two, they include, one, the Survivor Justice Center - among other tasks, it provides legal representation to low-income parents in high-conflict custody; and two, the Shriver Housing Project-LA, whose main objective is to give free legal help to low-income landlords and tenants in eviction cases.

If done rightly and judiciously, providing self-help services to the uninformed and the underprivileged, is a most worthy cause.