A new report has been released by the Maryland Judiciary, highlighting the services available to individuals who appear in court without legal representation. The document, titled "Resources for Self-Represented Litigants in the Maryland Courts," details a variety of self-help services offered by the Judiciary.
In recent times, there has been an increase in the number of people attending Maryland courts without attorneys. This trend is evident in civil cases within the District Court of Maryland, where at least one party often lacks legal representation. Data from fiscal year 2017 shows that 80 percent of family law cases in circuit courts across the state involved at least one unrepresented individual.
The report outlines several resources provided by the Judiciary to assist these self-represented litigants. These include call-in, online, and walk-in self-help centers; access to law libraries; instructional videos and webinars; online tools for locating necessary legal forms; and a smartphone app called Maryland Law Help that consolidates these resources.
Some highlights from fiscal year 2017 are included in the report:
The Judiciary's website offers a dedicated legal self-help section with information and service links. It can be accessed directly at www.mdcourts.gov/legalhelp.
The full report was compiled by the Judiciary’s Access to Justice Department in collaboration with several other departments and is available on their website as well. The direct link is /sites/default/files/import/accesstojustice/pdfs/fy17srlreport.pdf.