From PP

Question 1

Who do we help?

Answer 1

Litigants without attorneys​
Litigants with family law or certain civil and probate cases filed in Los Angeles county​
We help litigants at any point in their case ​
No income restrictions​
No residency/geographic restrictions​
No legal status restrictions

Question 2

Don’t help

Answer 2

Litigants with attorneys​
Cases outside of our scope of practice ​
Cases filed in other counties ​
Litigants with issues that require legal advice

Question 3

Types of cases we help with

Answer 3

Dissolution of marriage (aka Divorce)​
Parentage cases ​
Child Support Cases filed by the County of LA​
Cases sent over from Dependency Court (aka Exit Orders)​
Restraining Orders

Question 4

Referrals

Answer 4

We cannot make referrals to a specific attorney, but has a list of approved agencies

Question 5

Self-Help Staff

Answer 5

Court Services Assistants (CSAs) – Intake/Triage screeners​
Paralegals​
Attorneys​
JusticeCorps Fellows ​
JusticeCorps minimum time members​
Legal Aid partner staff and volunteers (at some locations)

Question 6

Case numbers

Answer 6

year, location, litigation type, case sequence number
All litigation types will have five numeric digits

Question 7

California Rules of Court Rule 3.300:

Answer 7

Cases are related if they involve the same parties, involve the same property, arise from the same events and facts, or are otherwise so similar that it would be a waste of resources for them to be handled by different judges​

​Whenever a party learns of a related case, they must file and serve a Notice of Related Case​

​Some related cases become the lead, some just get a notation as related.

Question 8

Legal Documents

Answer 8

Help litigants communicate their personal story in a form that meets all legal requirements.

Question 9

Jurisdiction

Answer 9

Personal and Subject Matter

Question 11

Due Process

Answer 11

a legal process that ensures that legal matters are resolved fairly and according to established rules and principles.

The Constitution states only one command twice. The Fifth Amendment says to the federal government that no one shall be “deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law.” The Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868, uses the same eleven words, called the Due Process Clause, to describe a legal obligation of all states. These words have as their central promise an assurance that all levels of American government must operate within the law (“legality”) and provide fair procedures.

Question 12

Who is the Petitioner and who is the Respondent?

Answer 12

Petitioner is the individual who files the Petition

Question 13

Default or Contested

Question 14

Service of Process

Answer 14

In person, by a third party, who is over 18 years

Question 15

Service of Process other options

Answer 15

Posting/Publication​
Certified mail (if out of state)​
Notice and Acknowledgment​
Hague treaty

Question 16

Court Case Cycle

Answer 16

Summons and petition are filed and a case number assigned​
Notice is given to the other party (aka Service of Process)​
Other party either responds (contested) or does not (default)​
Petitioner files evidence of Service of Process and if no response, prepares a default judgment.​
If a response is filed, case will either 1) go to trial, or 2) parties will write up an agreement (aka stipulation)​
After a case is open, can file for temporary orders along the way – Requests for Order

Question 17

Need orders now

Answer 17

Can get “temporary” orders by filing a Request for Order at anytime while case is pending, and even after judgment