California Court Help Available

Free help is available on the Internet for the estimated 4.3 million Californians who represent themselves in court each year. The site is provided by the Judicial Council, the governing body of California's court system. The council's staff agency, the Administrative Office of the Courts, maintains the online Self-Help Center.

Over half of all Californians who find themselves in court do not have attorneys. While the site doesn't encourage people to represent themselves in court, it offers step-by-step assistance to those who do. The online Self-Help Center offers:

• Tools, resources, and links for legal assistance in the areas most needed by self-represented litigants, including divorce, domestic violence, child custody/support, traffic, and small claims.
• Descriptions of court procedures.
• Guides for choosing and completing necessary court forms for various types of legal proceedings.
• Links to legal services organizations and lawyer referral programs.