Editorial: Self-help center would fill a void

Tuesday, April 21, 1998 | 10:13 a.m.

THERE is an absolute need for a resource center to assist people who cannot afford attorneys and instead must represent themselves in Family Court.

For instance, at least 44 percent of Family Court cases have one or both parties who represent themselves. Unlike criminal cases, in which defendants are afforded the right to an attorney, no such right exists in civil cases. Because an attorney's fee for Family Court cases can range from $100 to $300 an hour, some people can't afford legal representation. The bill for an average case is $10,000 to $20,000. As a result, many people are forced to represent themselves, but they don't have the legal skills or knowledge of the system to do a proper job.

During a legislative subcommittee hearing last week, District Court representatives presented a plan that would be modeled after a nationally recognized program in Maricopa County, Ariz. The administrator for the Self-Service Center for the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County, Bob James, said they offer a wide range of information for a small charge. "We created instructions to help litigants fill out pleadings and what to do with them after they were filed," James said. The Maricopa County center's five full-time staff members serve 400 people a day. The center doesn't offer legal advice; it focuses on helping litigants find their way through an often maze-like legal system.

The space for such a center already exists in the Family Court building. What's needed, though, is funding. Such a center doesn't come cheap. The annual budget for the resource center would be $400,000, which includes an attorney, program coordinator, law clerk, paralegal and other staff members. For the center to become reality, the County Commission must approve its budget.

There already is quite a cost to Family Court by not having a resource center. The assistant administrator for District Court, Christina Chandler, estimates that 30,000 court hours are spent answering the questions of people who are representing themselves.

Costs and efficiency, however, shouldn't be the only considerations in deciding this issue. The bottom line is you can't put a price tag on justice. If we can provide legal representation to criminal defendants, the least we can do is offer a place where people can get sound information on the legal system, especially in the complex Family Court system. A resource center is an excellent idea and the court's plan should be approved by the County Commission.