Judicial Branch Announces Relaunch of Online Spanish Self-Help Center

Contact: Daisy Yee, 415-865-8929

August 25, 2011

Judicial Branch Announces Relaunch of Online Spanish Self-Help Center
www.sucorte.ca.gov offers Spanish-speakers ease of use and expanded information

SAN FRANCISCO—Free legal help is available online by means of an expanded self-help website for the estimated 4.3 million Californians who represent themselves in court each year. The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) today announced the relaunch of the Spanish-language self-help Center website, Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, at www.sucorte.ca.gov.

The Spanish-language site and its English-language counterpart, the California Courts Online Self-Help Center, at www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp, have both been redesigned to be easier to use and feature expanded information such as:

• New sections on foreclosure, bankruptcy, and consumer debt, as well as limited and unlimited civil lawsuits;
• A detailed overview section on the court system, working with an attorney, using court forms, researching the law, and preparing for court;
• Detailed how-to guides on asking for, responding to, and enforcing all types of civil restraining orders, including domestic violence, elder/dependent cases, civil harassment, and workplace violence;
• Expanded how-to guides on asking for, responding to, changing, and terminating child and spousal/partner support orders;
• Expanded how-to guides on starting, responding to, and completing a divorce or legal separation;
• Information on how to divide property and debt in a divorce or legal separation.
• Detailed how-to guides on changing an adult or child’s name;
• Expanded information on resolving your dispute out of court, including links to videos and community resources; and
• An expanded list of links and resources to assist web users with all types of legal issues, including administrative agency issues and other topics.

“This updated website will make the legal process more accessible to the many Californians who go to court without an attorney because of economic reasons,” said Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye. “Even those individuals who have an attorney can get more information about the court process and work more effectively with their chosen attorney. Informed litigants ensure a more just and efficient process for both the litigants and the courts.”

About Online Self-Help Centers

The California Courts online self-help centers, both English (www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp) and Spanish (www.sucorte.ca.gov), provide self-represented litigants with quick access to comprehensive information about many basic court procedures as well as other resources, including referrals to legal service programs and lawyer referral services. These free online services provide information and education about the justice process for all Californians.

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