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New self-help legal services coming to Sherburne, Wright counties in July

Posted: Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Beginning the first week of July, Minnesota’s Tenth Judicial District will begin offering walk-in self-help legal services at the Sherburne and Wright county courthouses. This free service is being offered to provide assistance to the growing number of people choosing to represent themselves in court proceedings.
 
Help will be offered to self-represented litigants at the Sherburne County Courthouse in Elk River every Tuesday, beginning July 5. Staff will be available 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.
 
Self-represented litigants can get help at the Wright County Courthouse in Buffalo every Friday, beginning on July 8. Service hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
 
Last year, the Tenth Judicial District opened a new Self-Help Center at the Anoka County Courthouse to provide legal information and resources to self-represented litigants. The Center was designed to serve residents throughout the 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.
 
In order to make it more convenient for district residents to take advantage of this no-cost service, staff have begun offering weekly walk-in hours at other court locations in the district. With the start of service in Sherburne and Wright counties, Self-Help Center staff will be offering walk-in hours at all eight courthouses in the district. 
 
“As we see more and more people trying to navigate our legal system without an attorney, we have been exploring new ways to provide resources to these individuals to help them capably seek justice through our courts,” said Tenth Judicial District Administrator Michael Moriarity. “The Self-Help Center in Anoka County has proven so successful and popular, that we quickly identified the need to offer this assistance in even more communities. We hope many more people will be able to take advantage of this important resource.”
 
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:

Sherburne County Courthouse (Court Staging Area)
13880 Business Center Dr., Elk River, MN 55330
Tuesday (starting July 5), 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 (starting July 8), 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.

Kanabec County Courthouse (Law Library)
18 North Vine Street, Mora, MN 55051
Monday, 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.                                 

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.

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 Center 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.