For a chronology of the Court Assistance Office Project please visit the Complete Overview. The Court Assistance Offices are all located in the county courthouses in their respective county seats. The first priority of a Court Assistance Office is to connect pro se litigants with attorneys where possible, and to provide informational resources to assist them in representing themselves where attorney representation is unavailable or not desired. A Directory of Idaho Legal Services is also available, which provides a comprehensive guide to legal and related services available in Idaho. The full array of services provided at the Court Assistance Offices is set out in the following list: Services Provided At The Court Assistance Offices:
* Information on attorneys and types of services they can provide (i.e., pro bono and reduced rate representation, unbundled services)
* Referral to mediators
* Application for direct legal services for low-income individuals (i.e., Idaho Legal Aid Services, Idaho Volunteer Lawyers Program)
* Toll-free Legal Resource Line for brief legal consultations (operated by the Idaho Law Foundation), domestic violence hotline (through Idaho Legal Aid Services) and legal research line (from the Idaho State Law Library)
* Information on services provided by government and private agencies
* Court forms and instructions for some types of civil cases, with an emphasis on family law
* Review of completed court forms
* Written instructions on how to proceed with some types of civil cases, including which forms to use and how to fill them out
* Use of computers to prepare court documents, and research and access other Internet resources
* Informational brochures and pamphlets on a variety of legal topics, organizations and agencies
* Information on pro se litigation workshops sponsored by Idaho Legal Aid Services and Idaho Volunteer Lawyers Program
* Information and referral to resources to protect children in high-conflict cases (e.g. visitation supervisors)
* Instructional videos, with accompanying brochures on topics including an introduction to the court system, family law, and domestic violence
* Workshops on obtaining a divorce, and on modifying and enforcing divorce or custody decrees
* Idaho Supreme Court Self-Help Center Website to access and download court forms, instructions, and other self-help resources
Many materials are available in both English and Spanish, and a certified Court interpreter is available by telephone through the Court Assistance Offices.
The 2001 Idaho Legislature enacted Section 32-1402(5), I.C. which established court assistance (self-help) officers by law as part of a system of coordinated family services in Idaho courts. Also see Idaho Court Administrative Rule 53.
For additional information about the Court Assistance Offices, please contact:
