Self-Help CenterNAVIGATOR TRAINING

Navigator Training Roadmap

I. MLHP & Self-Help Centersa) Background & Historyb) SHC & Navigator Rolesc) Legal advice v. Legal information

II. MichiganLegalHelp.org a) Types of Content & Toolsb) Law Help Interactivec) Guide to Legal Helpd) LiveHelp Chat

Training Objectives

Learn about MLH History & Mission Role & Purpose of Self-Help Centers

Understand the Navigator’s role & responsibilities Difference between legal info & legal advice

Become familiar with MichiganLegalHelp.org 8 types of content

Referrals and other tools LiveHelp and the Guide to Legal Help

9.9 million

1,687,624

$20,420

Poverty in Michigan

(2013)

285 residents per private

attorney

13,179 residents per attorney

21,625 residents per atty

Private Attorneys Legal Services Lawyerserving up to 125% FPL

Legal Services Lawyerserving up to 200%FPL

Number of Michigan Residents per Lawyer (2012)

“While the economy has greatly increased the number of people who are eligible for civil legal aid, legal aid agencies must turn away many due to limited resources. I created the Solutions on Self-Help Task Force to fill the justice gap I see in our state."

Chief Justice Marilyn Kelly (2010)

Michigan Legal Help ProgramMichigan Legal Help Program (MLHP) is a non-profit organization

that empowers people to participate in the justice system.

Who can MLH help?

Many people who will represent themselves in civil legal matters!

But, not every civil legal matter is suited for self-representation.

Why MLH isn’t for everyone

• We don’t have everything.

• We will never have some things.

• We don’t have all the answers that people want.

• Not every litigant or every case is appropriate for self-representation.

Continuum of Services

Nothing

Self-Help Resources (MLH)

Self-Help Center Navigator Plus MLH

Free Legal Advice (from legal services or Pro Bono attorneys) plus MLH

Unbundled Legal Advice Plus MLH

Brief Assistance from Legal Services

Unbundled Assistance from Private Attorney

Full Representation by Attorney (legal services, pro bono, private bar)

Mediation, ODR

2018Toolkit Usage

Name Interviews Docs

Generated

% Interviews

--► Docs

Divorce with or without

Children77,913 37,518 58%

Food Stamp Calculator 21,095 11,588 56%

Child Custody Complaint 9,743 3,870 47%

Answer and Counterclaim

for Divorce7,902 4,151 61%

Application to Set Aside

Conviction4,636 693 18%

Fee Waiver 6,029 3,481 68%

Self-Help Centers: Alcona, Allegan, Alpena, Calhoun, Cass, Genesee, Grand Traverse, Jackson, Livingston, Macomb, Marquette, Monroe, Muskegon, Oakland, Oscoda, Saginaw, SW Detroit, Tuscola & Wayne

Partnering Legal Resource Centers:Berrien, Kent, Ottawa, & Washtenaw

Continued SHC Support

The Navigator Network is here to support you!

Navigator listserv keeps you up-to-date & in touch with fellow Navigators across the state

shcnavigators@lists.mplp.org

Monthly Webinar Series: Expungement, Mediation, E-Filing, Limited Scope

Representation, Eviction and more!

Custom Portal Page: Your very own section of MLH.org where you can post

announcements and center-specific informationCOUNTY NAME.michiganlegalhelp.org

Navigator page:michiganlegalhelp.org/navigator

The main source of Navigator resources

Navigator Page

michiganlegalhelp.org/navigator

MLH Self-Help Centers

A place where area residents can get help:

By asking a Navigator questions: “Can I? How do I? Where do I? What if??”

By using computers to access online legal self-help tools on MichiganLegalHelp.org:Complete & print court forms and checklists w/

filing instructions

Watch videos that explain legal processes

Self-Help Centers:Concerns for All Models

Space, Equipment & Training

Staffing & Sustainability

Institutional Relationships

Providing only legal info & referrals

SHC Models:COURT-BASED

Space: public, accessible, convenient

Staffing: depends on court collaboration and financial contribution to center, can also include volunteers, legal aid, and pro bono attorney participation

Institutional Relationships: naturally close relationships with clerks, judges, bar associations, etc.

SHC Models:LIBRARY-BASED

Space: public, accessible, trusted

Staffing: professional, public-facing, service-oriented, sensitive to confidentiality and accessibility issues, “happy to help”

Institutional Relationships: need to be built and maintained with court, FOC, DV agency and local bar association

SHC Models:COMMUNITY-BASED

Space (& location): already provide resources to the public / specific population. May be well-known to community; may not be close to court.

Staffing: 1) existing staff depends on org’s structure, priorities and funding 2) new staff / volunteers require funding

Institutional Relationships: in close proximity to other social service / community orgs and institutions, build relationships with court / bar

Court vs. Library Centers

SHC Request for Proposals (RFP)

o Description, Purpose, And Objectives Of The Michigan Legal Help Program

o Background Of Michigan Legal Help Program

o Self-help Center Site Specifications

o Roles Of Stakeholders

o Contributions From The Michigan Legal Help Program

o Format And Deadline For Proposals

o Proposal Evaluation Process And Project Timeline

SHC Operating Protocols

Scope of Services Information

Referrals

Visitor with Attorney

Ethical GuidelinesImpartiality and diligence

Respect and patience

Communication with officers of the court and represented litigants

The Navigator’s Role

A Navigator’s services always operate on two levels simultaneously:

personal

institutional

Both levels are equally important.

At the personal level

Navigators help people in need of legal assistance.

Provide access to legal information

Help visitors navigate the website

Help visitors find and complete court forms

Provide referrals

Listen to people’s concerns

At the institutional level

Provide the court with a helpful resource to which they can refer people

Aid in the efficiency of court operations

Increase access to justice

Contribute to a wider, more collaborative & cooperative legal community and court system

Legal Information v. Legal Advice

What is legal information?

A statement of the law – it is the same for everyone.

An explanation of options and procedures.

What is legal advice?

• Application of facts to the law.

• This may include a remark about the outcome of a situation or the details of someone’s problem.

• Statements that sound like: “in your case…,” “you should…,” “what would happen is…”

Legal Information – Yes!

You can and should give visitors information that:

Explains legal procedures or what to expect in court. Answer any questions asking "Can I?" or "How do I?" Answer questions about the completion of forms. Explain the meaning of terms and documents used in

the court process. Answer questions concerning deadlines or due dates. Explain a visitor’s options to him or her Say “It might be helpful” or “It could be useful”

Legal Advice – No!

You cannot & should not give information that:

You aren’t sure is correct or true.

Advises visitors to take a particular course of action.

Says what someone should do / needs to do. Instead, try to explain options. Or suggest that visitors ask a lawyer.

Gives one party information that you would be unwilling or unable to provide to other parties.

How do you know whenyou’re offsides?

Information

Advice

Guidance From CA Courts

Some Rules of Thumb

• Do not answer questions that involve the word “should.”

• Do not tell a visitor what you would do if you were in their shoes – do not give your opinion.

• Do not either encourage or discourage litigation – instead, encourage visitors to make their own decisions accessing the information on Michigan Legal Help.

• Do answer any questions that you can – especially those that involve the words “how do I” or “can I.”

• Do ask for help from a Supervisor.

• Do refer visitors to seek help from an attorney if they have questions that require legal advice!

Navigator Training Roadmap

II. MichiganLegalHelp.org

a) Types of Content & Tools

b) DIY Form Tools

c) Guide to Legal Help

d) LiveHelp Chat Service

Articles give general information about legal issues.

Do-It-Yourself Tools& Court Forms

Michigan Legal Help does not offer blank forms.

MLH created interactive tools that populate SCAO-approved court forms. LHI houses the tools and saves the forms & information if visitors make an account.

Common Questions give short answers to very specific questions.

You can see the answer to a question by clicking on it.

County-Specific Checklists

Checklists are printable step-by-step instructions that guide a visitor through handling a legal issue.

Selecting a County

Definitions

If a word or phrase is underlined, the definition can be viewed by clicking on it. The word “landlord” is

underlined.

The definition appears in an overlaid window when the word is clicked.

Videos explain common topics in a more visual way.

You can find all of our videos by clicking the “Video” link in the website’s footer.

Flow Charts: Divorce

Toolkits are groups of content that have

legal information about a particular issue.

Toolkits: Articles, Common Questions, Definitions, Flowcharts, Checklists & Forms

Searching for Content

Filtering Search Results

These results have been filtered by Content Type to show only Toolkits.

The results can also be filtered by legal issue.

Remember to select your county!

The checklists won’t appear at all unless you do.

Also, the referrals will not be filtered for your area until you do.

Some Reminders: MLH Forms & DIY Tools

All MLH Forms require an “interview”. Forms are stored on LawHelp Interactive. DIY Tools help visitors understand the form and

the process. You cannot print forms without completing the

interview. You may save forms if you create an account and

login. The interview is designed to identify cases that

are too complex, or users that are ineligible to file that particular form.

In those cases, the user will be redirected.

Multiple Forms

• Some DIY tools complete a full set of forms rather than just one.

• For example, the Divorce tool gives users the following documents:

Complaint; Summons; Record of Divorce; UCCJEA, IV-D;

Default Affidavit and Request; Judgment (with or without addenda); Uniform Child Support Order, Judgment Information Form; Proofs of Mailing (with checkboxes), Notice of Hearing; Fee Waiver (if eligible); Testimony for Final Hearing.

Getting to the Forms: A) From the Toolkit

Forms are stored on LHI. The site will open in a new tab or window.

Getting to the Forms: B) From a Content Area

These results have been filtered by Content Type to show only Forms.

If you already know which form you need, click on it in the list.

After reading a description of the form, you can click on the title. Then LHI will open in a new tab or window.

Starting an Interview on LHI

Interviews: A2J Interface

Interviews: Hotdocs Interface

Divorce Interview

Divorce Complaint

Judgment of

Divorce

DIY Tools & Other Forms: Letters

Some interviews produce form letters, for example, to a landlord.

All Forms

On Every Page:Referrals, LiveHelp &

The Guide

The Guide to Legal Help

The Guide to Legal Help directs all visitors to the most appropriate resources available to them throughout the state, from MLH content to external resources, including tailored lawyer referrals. The system uses advanced logic trees to help

identify a visitor’s legal problem and what services they qualify for, then directs the user to the most appropriate resources to resolve their problem, given what is

available in the community.

Guide to Legal Help

What is LiveHelp?

LiveHelp is a chat feature that helps visitors to michiganlegalhelp.org find the info they need.

LiveHelp Agents facilitate access to legal info. They assist visitors in:

navigating the site

understanding court procedures

using LawHelp Interactive to

prepare court forms

Quick Demo

MLH: Helping to Navigate

Thank you

Ramzi BadwiProgram and Outreach Coordinator,Michigan Legal Help Program

(734) 714-3243

rbadwi@mplp.org

shcnavigators@lists.mplp.org