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The Self Help Center gives free assistance to self-represented litigants (people involved in a legal action who do not have an attorney) in a variety of legal matters. The Self Help Center staff give legal forms and procedural guidance in the following areas: marital dissolution (divorce), legal separation, annulments, summary dissolutions, guardianships, adoptions, domestic violence prevention, name changes, emancipation, expungements, unlawful detainers (evictions), civil matters (such as debt collection, or property damage, etc.) and small claims.
Services are free and there are no income qualifying requirements. Assistance is provided daily on a walk-in first come, first served basis, in weekly scheduled workshops or clinics (classroom style setting), and limited assistance is available by telephone or e-mail, except in confidential cases.
Office Hours:
Monday - Thursday
8:00 AM to 12:30 PM and 1:00 PM to 3PM
(Closed for lunch 12:30 PM to 1 PM)
Friday
8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
***CLOSED FRIDAY AFTERNOONS***
Location:
Superior Court of Stanislaus County
800 - 11th Street, Room 220
Modesto, California
Telephone:
(209) 525-7737*
e-mail: Self.Help@StanCt.org *
*For the most effective assistance by telephone or e-mail, please provide your full name, telephone number and case number (if you have one), along with a brief description of your problem. Responses can be expected within 1-2 business days. We appreciate your patience.
The Self Help Center staff offer assistance to help you in each phase of your case in a variety of ways, such as:
- Help you select the proper legal forms based on what you are trying to accomplish
- Help you prepare paperwork to begin Dissolution (Divorce), Legal Separation or Annulment, Guardianship, Step-Parent Adoption or Domestic Violence restraining orders
- Assist you to prepare Motions and/or Orders to Show Cause and responses for custody and visitation, child support, spousal support and limited property issues
- Provide information and prepare draft calculations of support amounts based on statutory guidelines
- Review documents for completeness and instruction of how to file and serve the documents
- Instruction on what to expect and how to be prepared for a court hearing
Conduct daily workshops to assist you in finalizing your Dissolution (Divorce) or Legal Separation. Click here for details.
- Hold daily Clinics in a classroom style setting to help you complete legal forms in all types of legal matters (not just family law). Click here for details.
- Give you with legal information and "How To" instructions in easy to understand language
- Referrals to other free self help services (such as mediation) that can help resolve your case without having to go to court
- Give you information about other free services and agencies that can help you help yourself
Other Helpful Resources:
For basic definitions of legal terms and a detailed explanation of each type of family law action, click here.
For calculating your own child support or spousal support, click here.
For access to the California Courts online Self-Help Center for Libraries, Websites, Self-Help Legal Books and Judicial Counsel Forms in English, click here.
For access to the California Courts online Self-Help Center for Libraries, Websites, Self-Help Legal Books and Judicial Counsel Forms in Spanish, click here.
EZLegal File is an interactive program that will help you fill out the forms necessary to request or respond to Family Law, Guardianship, Small Claims and Unlawful Detainer legal matters, click here.
Disclosure
The Self Help Center is available to help both parents and all other parties who have questions about family law and guardianship cases. The Self Help Center can help you in preparing your own forms and can give you general information. The Self Help Center staff cannot go with you to court.
The Self Help Center staff members DO NOT ACT AS YOUR LAWYER, but as a neutral person who does not represent any parent or party. There is no attorney-client relationship between you and the Self Help Center staff.
The Self Help Center may provide information and services to the other party in your case.
Communications between you and the Self Help Center staff are not confidential. You should consult with your own attorney if you want personalized advice or strategy, to have a confidential conversation, or to be represented by an attorney in court.
The Self Help Center is not responsible for the outcome of your case.
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