San Benito and Santa Cruz provide advice to those without
lawyers
The San Benito Superior Court is offering new self-help services
for people who cannot afford a lawyer.
San Benito and Santa Cruz provide advice to those without lawyers
The San Benito Superior Court is offering new self-help services for people who cannot afford a lawyer.
“Our legal system was created thinking that people would always have access to a lawyer,” said Sasha Morgan, the manager of the new San Benito Superior Court Self-Help Center. “The legal system is still working towards a place where all people have equal access to the law.”
There are more self-represented litigants than ever and not enough free legal aid services, Morgan said.
“Self-help services bridge the gap,” she said.
The San Benito Superior Court Self Help Center is the result of collaboration between San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. For the first time ever the state court system provided county courts with money for self-help legal services beyond family law.
The Center can provide residents with assistance for legal issues in the following areas: guardianship, name change, elder abuse and restraining orders.
The legal process can be overwhelming, Morgan said. Although she cannot provide legal advice, her role is to show people how they can help themselves.
“Domestic violence issues, guardianship, are sometimes crisis situations,” Morgan said. “Often it is enough to provide people with guidance through the process.”
Many people do not know where to start, according to Morgan. There are six forms to fill out for a name change. There are 20 forms to fill out for guardianship.
Morgan can teach people how to use the California courts’ self-help Web page, the legal library, and tell them what forms they need to fill out. If a case was held up because of paperwork she can explain why.
“Often people don’t know what their resources are,” Morgan said, ” and that’s part of my job.”
Santa Benito and Santa Cruz County officials decided to pool their money so it would go farther, Morgan said. She will manage the self-help center in San Benito on Monday and a self-help center in Santa Cruz County Tuesday through Friday.
Residents can also reach Morgan by e-mail or phone. It may take up to one week for e-mail and phone calls to be returned.
“I’m trying to give people lots of different ways to get to me,” Morgan said.
The Center opened to the public on Oct. 1, but Morgan has been in town since June. She spent her time getting to know the community, getting the word out about the new services, putting educational packets together and setting up the office.
“The hope is when I’m here working in two counties we will continue to expand services into other areas of the law,” Morgan said.
Though Morgan is not able to give legal advice, she said it has not been frustrating.
“You know, it’s not,” Morgan said, “It’s actually really empowering.”
In her previous jobs, “my philosophy was really about educating people so they can make their own informed decision,” Morgan said.
