FREE LEGAL ASSISTANCE IN ELBERT COUNTY
The Virtual Pro Se Clinic (“On your own behalf”) is a non-profit organization created to provide people in Elbert County, as well as other counties in Colorado, with assistance on most non-criminal legal matters. The goal of VPC is to help people understand the legal process, understand their rights, understand how to defend their rights and identify their legal options.
Last year there were 500,000 Coloradoans who went to court without an attorney. Most of the court cases involved child custody or property right issues. VPC covers 40 counties within Colorado, having served over 10,000 people.
This program is available to all citizens going to court without an attorney and does not have financial requirements to use their service.
Ric Morgan is an attorney in Elbert County. He developed VPC to provide legal information for people that were going to court without legal representation. The lack of knowing their rights made them vulnerable in the outcome of their court cases. It took several years of experience and working with numerous experts to put this unique program together.
Ric has recruited a very competent staff of volunteer attorneys to deliver a high level of service. Clients can meet face-to-face with the attorneys at over 87 public libraries throughout Colorado or access the them via Zoom when clients live in remote areas or cannot physically attend live meetings.
To provide statistics that illustrate the current problem that make this organization so important, we should consider the following:
There are three major areas of law that make up most of the cases. Domestic disputes (child custody & marriage disputes), County Civil issues and District Civil conflicts (property issues) make up 31% of over 700,000 cases annually. 73% of the Domestic cases have no legal representatives, while 64% of the County Civil cases are not represented by an attorney and in fact most cases don’t have representatives for both parties involved. Finally, 31% of the District Civil cases are not representative by attorneys.
Many of the people who go to court without an attorney is due to lack of finances. They go to court with the hope that they will be given a fare outcome. This is not necessarily true. How you present your case (if you even understand the legal bases of your case) is critical to the outcome. Court cases are often very complex and by not understanding the process, one can be left to chance.
Another problem to understand is that the time it takes from the court staff and the additional cost to work with people unfamiliar with the process is quite significant. Knowing what papers are to be completed, and how to fill them is a common problem that wastes a tremendous amount of time for all involved. The end result may deliver an outcome that is not to the best interests to all parties involved.
These are just some of the reasons VPC was founded. The result of getting advice and direction by the VPC staff is priceless. The chances that your case will end up to your benefit is something that must be considered and represents a valuable benefit for all who use their services.
The organization uses a proprietary “Checkerboard” tool that provides on-line access to commonly used information, such as legal forms, identification of appropriate courts, and the legal process. In addition, clients can access details regarding child custody, property rights, probate and many other various areas of law. Should you have a complex case where you need to hire an attorney, you will be able to obtain referrals to appropriate attorneys to represent you in court.
Mark your calendar to show the following sessions:
- March 8, 2022
- April 12, 2022
- May 10, 2022
- June 14, 2022
- July 12, 2022
- August 9, 2022
- September 13, 2022
- October 11, 2022
- November 8, 2022
- December 13, 2022
Elizabeth Library is located at 621 W. Beverly Street, between Big R & Safeway
The Elbert County Partnership is proud to introduce the Virtual Pro Se Clinic to the citizens of Elbert County. It is providing a valuable service that makes our citizens better prepared should they need to go to court. Go to elbertcountypartnership.com and access the square blog button in the upper right side of the home page to view an expanded review of the VPC organization. You will find links to pictures, graphs and statistics to become familiar with the program. Try out the Checkerboard to appreciate the value of this unique program.
This story has been sponsored by the ELBERT COUNTY PARTNERSHIP, making Elbert County a better place to live.