Community Resource Center addresses FAQs in District Nine

By Brigid Moroney, Intern

In an effort to enhance self-represented litigants' access to court-related information, the Ninth Judicial District (headquartered in Wausau) recently used grant funds to develop a Community Resource Center (CRC). The CRC is a literature display that contains self-help brochures, sample forms, legal assistance referral sources and other information self-represented litigants will find helpful as they navigate the legal system.

The CRCs are located in or near the Office of the Clerk of Circuit Court, which tends to be the first stop for self-represented litigants seeking assistance. While CRCs are only currently located in the Ninth District, it is hoped that other districts will also develop these literature displays.

Based upon feedback from a district assessment, the most popular inquiry of court staff relates to post-judgment family law issues; thus, two brochures, entitled Contempt Motions/Enforcement of Physical Placement Motions and Modification/Change Legal Custody and Physical Placement, Child Support or Maintenance were created in order to answer these frequently asked questions. The remaining brochures cover a wide range of matters a self-represented litigant may find helpful, from pro se divorce information to a brochure on the Wisconsin court system Web site.

CRCs benefit both self-represented litigants, who can leave with printed answers to their questions that they can later reference, and court staff, who can direct people with frequently asked questions to the materials in the CRC.

In order to facilitate easy implementation of CRCs, all materials that are available in the Ninth District can be downloaded from the Pro Se Assistance Resources page on CourtNet. In addition, all forms are available in Word format, so they can be easily tailored to serve each county's needs.

For further information on the brochure holders, brochures, accessing the materials on CourtNet or replicating this model in your county or district, contact State Pro Se Coordinator Ann Zimmerman at ann.zimmerman@wicourts.gov.

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