The Scott County Circuit Court at 119 North Hampton Street in Georgetown is now offering free self-help legal resources through the public workstation on site.

This newly available resource comes from a larger state wide push from the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to provide more access to citizens of the commonwealth without the means to obtain it. The portal was designed as a collaboration between the Kentucky Court of Justice and Kentucky Access to Justice Commission.

The portal went live as a soft launch in March. Scott County was one of the many pilot counties where the AOC installed a public workstation. As of now 48 counties in Kentucky have access to these resources, and by June they will be made available to most of the other 72 counties, according to a press release from the AOC.

The portal features an interactive program that assists users in completing common legal forms including uncontested divorce, probate, child support, small claims, name change, expungement, and more.

Its like a Turbo Tax-like program. Weve got a computer here at the courthouse or you can access it from your own home. Its especially good for divorce cases, those can be uncomfortable, said Scott County Circuit Court Clerk Tina Foster.

The portal also provides links to legal information categorized by topic onkyjustice.org, the online legal advice clinicky.freelegalanswers.org/, lawyer referral services and Kentuckys regional civil legal aid programs. The AOC legal forms library is also available through the portal, which provide access to an array of standardized legal forms, including the recently developed forms packet for uncontested divorces involving no children.

The resources, their centralization into a self-help portal and the workstations are major steps toward our continuous goal to improve access to justice for everyone, Chief Justice of the Commonwealth Laurance VanMeter said. For non-attorneys, the legal system can be a mystery. A one-stop shop with user-friendly technology is our solution to thischallenge. The portal makes it far easier for the many people who cant afford an attorney or choose to handle their own everyday issues.

Its really helpful to folks who dont have access to a computer at home or dont have the money for an attorney. Its a really good resource, said Foster

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Legal self-help now offered by circuit court - News- Graphic