For people who can’t afford a lawyer, going to court can be a frightening and overwhelming experience. A service called LawHelp Interactive helps by making it easier to fill out essential legal documents.
LawHelp Interactive is a project of Pro Bono Net, a national nonprofit that works to increase access to justice. Users of the free service complete an online questionnaire about their legal issue. LawHelp Interactive then uses the responses to create a correctly completed legal document.
The service can be found at www.lawhelpinteractive.org, and specific forms can be accessed via LawHelp.org, Pro Bono Net’s consumer legal information site, which provides legal information, self-help tools and referrals to local legal aid organizations.
A wide variety of content is available on LawHelp Interactive. Commonly-used forms include those for divorce, parenting plans, orders of protection, wills, powers of attorney for property, advance directives, debt collection, and landlord-tenant issues. Interviews and templates are created by legal experts, usually from legal aid groups or the courts.
The service is also used by pro bono and legal aid attorneys looking to help more clients in less time, and in court self-help centers around the country. Last year LawHelp Interactive was used to complete nearly 150,000 documents, and usage is expected to continue growing.
People looking for free interactive legal forms can go to www.lawhelpinteractive.org and click “Find Forms” or go to www.lawhelp.org and select their state and the type of problem they need help with.
