Help You Help Yourself

The Ronald H. Roberts Temecula Public Library hosted the on-going series “Help You Help Yourself.” The goal of this series is to bring legal resources to the local community. This family law class was open to the public and free for anyone wishing to attend. Our previous series topics were Estate Planning, Evictions and the ABC's Child Custody.

The presenter for this family law class was Patty Rich a family law facilitator at the Riverside Self Help Center. The family law facilitator’s office offers assistance to self-represented litigants. Patty Rich received overwhelmingly positive comments from the 22 patrons in attendance.

Patty described the services provided by the family law facilitator’s offices at their different locations. She said they can provide legal information and options as well as explain court processes and orders. But they cannot complete forms for you or provide legal strategy or legal research.

She also explained the responsibilities of individuals representing themselves in court. People need to understand the process and paperwork involved in a court proceeding. She mentioned the importance of updating your address since it can be so important when a hearing is approaching. Also, people should keep copies of all documents and do their best to keep everything organized.

Patty also shared some funny stories about people trying to lock themselves in their homes and cars to avoid proof of service. Proof of service is the process by which people are served with paperwork. If they are not personally served then it can be quite difficult to proceed with a divorce or a child custody case.

Patty included a tip with those in attendance that seemed so useful. She said to include case information in your phone under a contact name. The first question you will be asked before filing any document is a case number and to have it conveniently located in your phone is a great tip.

Lastly, I would like to thank Patty Rich and the Family Law Facilitator’s office for taking time off from their busy schedules to come and speak to those in attendance.