A new self-help center providing free legal information to self-represented litigants officially opens for business today at the Hale Kaulike state courthouse in Hilo. The SHC, located on the first floor will be staffed by volunteer attorneys on Mondays and Fridays from 11:15 am to 12:45 pm. Hawai`i Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald said the Center’s goal is to make the legal system more user-friendly. 

“So often people don’t even understand what form they might have to file, perhaps what court they need to go to, and what options might be available to them,” Recktenwald said. “The attorneys will be able to provide them access to those materials and the forms that they would need, and information they would need, to navigate the system and be able to present their point of view to the judge.” 

The SHC is the result of a joint effort involving the Hawai`i State Judiciary, Hawai`i State Bar Association, Hawai`i County Bar Association, and the Legal Aid Society of Hawai`i. For more information, call 961-0609. Content for this story was provided by Big Island Video News.