Ohio Access to Justice Foundation grantee Ohio Legal Help uses technology to help Ohioans access civil legal information to resolve civil legal issues. The nonprofit’s latest project, a new Virtual Self-Help Center with the Montgomery County Domestic Relations Court, is the first in Ohio and an innovative example of how technology can aid self-represented litigants in navigating the court system.
The virtual self-help tool helps pro se litigants access critical court information; fill out, edit, save, and complete court forms on their mobile phones; and provides navigation assistance and answers to frequently asked questions through an automated chatbot. Free to use and available 24/7, the Montgomery County tool is the first of several virtual self-help centers Ohio Legal Help is planning with courts throughout the state.
The Dayton Legal Heritage Foundation, a component fund of The Dayton Foundation, funded Ohio Legal Help’s development of the Montgomery County Virtual Self-Help Center, which took several years of careful planning and testing. With its launch, all self-represented litigants going through a matter in the Montgomery County Domestic Relations Court, which handles between 5,000 and 6,000 cases a year, will have access to the transformative tool.
“For many low-income Ohioans who struggle to navigate civil legal issues on their own, without the help of an attorney, a Virtual Self-Help Center can make a huge difference,” said Susan Choe, executive director of Ohio Legal Help. “With this resource, residents can access and complete court forms on their phones when it’s most convenient, improving access to justice for some of the most vulnerable Ohioans.”
Learn more about the Virtual Self-Help Center in Ohio Legal Help’s press release.