The Court Assistance Office 4/19/2010
The Idaho Supreme Court's Committee to Increase Access to the Court began planning the Court Assistance Office Project ("CAOP") in 1998. The Committee had become concerned about the increasing numbers of pro se litigants involved in civil matters, a trend which was especially pronounced in family law cases. A person who represents himself in court alone without the help of a lawyer is said to appear pro se.
All counties in Idaho have been experiencing a uniformly high rate of self representation in these types of cases in recent years, some reporting as many as 80-90% of the litigants being pro se. This phenomenon has slowed the judicial process, and led to growing dissatisfaction with the court system on the part of the litigants, and mounting frustration on the part of all parties involved, litigants and court personnel alike.
The first priority of the CAOP is to connect pro se litigants with attorneys where possible, and to provide informational resources to assist them in representing themselves where attorney representation is unavailable or not desired. In order to supply the services for which the offices were established, an attorney survey was mailed to all licensed attorneys in or near the counties in which the offices are located. The survey requested a wide range of information designed to assist litigants in acquiring representation. Based on the results of this survey, attorney rosters were prepared and made available to visitors to the offices. The full array of services provided at the CAOs is set out in the following list:
Services provided at the Court Assistance Offices:
- Information on the risks of self-representation
- Information on attorneys and types of services they can provide (i.e., pro bono and reduced rate representation, unbundled services)
- Referral to mediators
- Application for direct legal services for low-income individuals (i.e., Idaho Legal Aid Services, Idaho Volunteer Lawyers Program)
- Toll-free Legal Resource Line for brief legal consultations (operated by the Idaho Law Foundation), domestic violence hotline (through Idaho Legal Aid Services) and legal research line (from the Idaho State Law Library)
- Information on services provided by government and private agencies
- Court forms and instructions for some types of civil cases, with an emphasis on family law
- Review of completed court forms
- Written instructions on how to proceed with some types of civil cases, including which forms to use and how to fill them out
- Use of computers to prepare court documents, and research and access other Internet resources
- Informational brochures and pamphlets on a variety of legal topics, organizations and agencies
- Information on pro se litigation workshops sponsored by Idaho Legal Aid Services and Idaho Volunteer Lawyers Program
- Information and referral to resources to protect children in high-conflict cases (e.g. visitation supervisors)
- Instructional videos, with accompanying brochures on topics including an introduction to the court system, family law, and domestic violence
- Workshops on obtaining a divorce, and on modifying and enforcing divorce or custody decrees
- CAO Website to access and download court forms, instructions, and other CAO resources
How can I learn more about the Court Assistance Offices?
Online: http://www.courtselfhelp.idaho.gov/
By phone, you can call the 2-1-1 Idaho CareLine by dialing 2-1-1 or 1-800-926-2588 to get the contact information of your local Court Assistance Office.
You can search for your local Court Assistance Office contact information in the 2-1-1 Idaho CareLine online database.