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New self-help legal services available in Washington County

Posted: Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Responding to the growing number of people choosing to represent themselves in court proceedings, Minnesota’s Tenth Judicial District is offering new self-help legal services in Washington County.
 
Self-represented litigants can now meet with staff from the Tenth Judicial District’s Self-Help Center at the Washington County Courthouse in Stillwater every Thursday and Friday. Staff will be available to provide assistance on a first-come, first-served basis from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
 
The Tenth Judicial District Self-Help Center opened in the Anoka County Courthouse in 2015. The Self-Help Center was established to provide legal information and resources to residents throughout the Judicial District, which includes Anoka, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Pine, Sherburne, Washington, and Wright counties. In its first nine months of operation, staff provided walk-in, e-mail, and phone assistance to self-represented litigants on nearly 2,000 legal matters.
 
“Our self-help legal staff are a great resource for people who need help navigating the legal system,” said Annette Fritz, the Washington County Court Administrator. “While they can’t offer legal advice, they can answer questions about the legal process, help people correctly fill out court forms, or provide information on other legal services in the community. As more people are going into court without a lawyer, we hope many people will take advantage of this service, provided at no-cost.”
 
A complete schedule of walk-in hours – along with information on self-help services available online, by e-mail, and over the phone – are provided below:
 

New Tenth Judicial District Self-Help Center Walk-in Hours and Locations:

Washington County Courthouse (Court Admin. – 1st Floor)
14949 62nd Street North, Stillwater, MN 55082
Thursday & Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Anoka County Courthouse (Second Level Central, C210)
325 East Main Street, Anoka, MN 55303 
Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. &1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Chisago County Courthouse (Court Admin.)
313 N Main Street, Center City, MN 55012
Wednesday
8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Isanti County Courthouse (Court Admin.)
555 18th Ave SW, Cambridge, MN 55008
Wednesday
1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Pine County Courthouse (Court Admin.)
635 Northridge Drive NW, Pine City, MN 55063
Monday, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Kanabec County Courthouse (Law Library)
18 North Vine Street, Mora, MN 55051
Monday, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.                                      

Service to Sherburne and Wright counties will begin the first week of July

Sherburne County Courthouse (Court Staging Area)
13880 Business Center Dr., Elk River, MN 55330
Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Wright County Courthouse (Adjacent to Court Admin. Window)
10 2nd Street NW, Buffalo, MN 55313
Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Tenth Judicial District Self-Help Center Phone and E-Mail Services:
 
Tenth Judicial District staff are also available to provide assistance over the phone and by e-mail to residents of Anoka, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Pine, Sherburne, Washington, and Wright counties:
  • Phone: Subject to staff availability, Self-Help Center phone service hours are Monday through Thursday, between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., by calling (763) 279-4325.
  • E-mail: Self-represented litigants can also submit questions to Self-Help Center staff via e-mail at 10CourtHelp@courts.state.mn.us. Normal response time for e-mail questions is expected to be two to three business days.
 
Services Available from Self-Help Center Staff
 
Self-Help Center staff are able to provide instructions on how to complete court forms; review filled-out forms for completeness; help self-represented litigants locate free or low-cost legal services and programs; and provide information about court process, practice, and procedure.
 
Self-represented litigants can seek help filling out court forms related to a wide variety of court proceedings, including: civil actions; conciliation court matters; criminal expungement; divorce, child support, custody, and family law; landlord and tenant law; name changes; and much more.
 
While Self-Help Center staff are not able to directly provide legal advice, strategy, or research, they will be able to connect visitors with services that offer legal advice and guidance.
 
Statewide Self Help Center Available to All Minnesotans
 
Minnesota is a nationally-recognized leader in providing services to those representing themselves in court.
 
The statewide Minnesota Self Help Center provides online resources, as well as phone and e-mail support, to self-represented litigants across the state. Every courthouse in the state is also equipped with self-help workstations consisting of a desk, computer, printer, and phone, which can be used at no cost to find court information, print court forms, and talk over the phone with Self Help staff about forms, procedures, and legal resources.
 
For more information on resources available to self-represented litigants in Minnesota, including help for self-represented litigants throughout the state, visit http://www.mncourts.gov/selfhelp or call (651) 259-3888.