Legal Self Help Services Print this Page
Phone: (415) 444-7130
Email: selfhelp@marincourt.org
Location: Civic Center, Hall of Justice, Room C-27
Office Hours: 8:30am - noon, 1:00pm - 4:00pm


Free Legal Self Help Services Available to the Public, in English and Spanish

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. To allow yourself enough time to receive assistance from the staff, and to complete your paperwork, please arrive at their office no later than 11:15 a.m. and 3:15 p.m.

Legal Self Help Services (LSHS) provides free assistance to those who do not have attorneys. Due to the high volume of court users, services are provided in person only on a first-come, first-served basis. LSHS does not provide services by phone or by appointment. LSHS’ primary goal is to provide vital self-help services to underserved Marin residents, such as low-income litigants and non-English or bilingual/bicultural residents with legal issues. Services include: intake, information and referral to legal services partners in the Justice Center; individual assistance with legal document preparation; bilingual assistance and legal reference materials for non-English speakers; assistance in conducting self-guided legal research; and coordination of volunteers and interns who provide direct customer services.

LSHS offers one-on-one assistance to self-represented litigants. All staff members are bilingual. LSHS utilizes a variety of web-based tools, available in multiple languages, to help litigants prepare their legal documents. There are numerous self-help resources in easy-to-understand legal publications and on the internet for Californians. LSHS maintains a library of written resources, such as Nolo Press books, that can explain complex processes in layperson’s language.

Staff are also available to provide information on how to file various kinds of legal documents, serve opposing parties, and explain court procedures and legal terminology, as well as giving the public tips on how to prepare for and what to bring to court appearances.

Primary Areas of Legal Assistance are:

  • Child Custody & Visitation
  • Child Support
  • Small Claims
  • Divorce/Dissolutions
  • Domestic Violence
  • Guardianship
  • Harassment Restraining Orders
  • Landlord/Tenant
  • Mediation
  • Name Changes
  • Paternity

Legal Self Help Resources Available on the Internet

Over the past several years, numerous legal self-help programs have become available over the Internet. Several California law web-based tools are available at LSHS or may be accessed from any location. Here are links to some of the tools used in the LSHS:

California Courts Self Help Center - This is the Judicial Council of California’s self help services website. Information is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean and Chinese. This tool provides assistance with family law, small claims, domestic violence, elder issues, traffic matters, evictions, bankruptcy, conservatorships, guardianships and many more types of cases. Click here

I-Can! Legal California - This tool, developed by Legal Aid Society of Orange County offers legal document preparation assistance in English, Spanish and Vietnamese in such areas as divorce, small claims, civil harassment, domestic violence, evictions, name changes, paternity, fee waivers, child custody, child support and guardianships. Click here



Overview and History of
Legal Self Help in Marin

For six years, legal self help services were provided by the Legal Self Help Center of Marin, Inc. (LSHC), a local non-profit organization. LSHC was conceived and launched by the Court and numerous legal services providers and community partners, in response to the need for improved public access to justice, especially for those who were self-representing in court. Over the course of those years, tens of thousands of people received legal information, help with document preparation and court procedures, and referrals to a network of agencies available to assist them with their legal issues. Because of the dramatic decline in public funding and the general state of the economy in 2008 and 2009, LSHC was unable to sustain its operations and autonomy as a non-profit agency. In recognition of the important and valuable community service provided by LSHC, the Board of Directors decided to dissolve the non-profit and transition these services under the administrative umbrella of the Court.
 
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