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Self-Help Center/Family Law Facilitator's Office

Self-Help Center/Family Law Facilitator’s Office

The Self-Help Center provides free assistance with family law, restraining orders, guardianship, conservatorship, name and/or gender changes, and landlord/tenant cases. Please review “What do we help with at SHC/FLFO?” section below for more details about our areas of assistance. We can answer questions about court processes and procedures, review your forms after you fill them out, provide you with educational materials (including samples) and referrals to local nonprofit organizations. We can only assist individuals who do not have an attorney.

We do not provide legal advice, are not your attorney and no attorney-client relationship is created as a result of any information or services provided to self-represented parties. Our communications are not privileged and services may be provided to both parties to a case. 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.

How to get help?

Workshops: The Self-Help Center assists with several issues through online workshops. Click on a topic for more information:

Divorce Case Review: Click here for help finishing your Divorce, Legal Separation or Nullity Case

Email: Click on the topic of your question(s) below:

Phone: Call us at 408-882-2926, choose option 3, during our phone hours - Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. No voicemail.

LiveChat: Click on the “Chat Now” window at the bottom right of the screen during our LiveChat hours - Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (LiveChat availability subject to change). Please note, LiveChat will be CLOSED on Tuesday 11/26/2024.

In Person: Only available for the following Emergency Issues only (click here for printable flyer):

For these issues, go to the Restraining Order Help Center at 201 N. First Street, San Jose, CA 95113 during the following office hours:

  • Monday to Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
  • Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

What do we help with at SHC/FLFO?

Important notice, please read carefully: This list is meant only as a guide and not a guarantee of services. We do not assist with any areas of the law that are not specifically listed under the “We Can Help” section. If you need help with an issue that our office does not assist with, we suggest you refer to our Do It Yourself Resource Flyer.

Family Law

We Can Help We Cannot Help
  • Start/Respond/finish-Dissolution, Legal Separation, or Nullity:
  • Start/Respond/Finish-Petition to Establish Parentage
  • Custody and Visitation
  • Child Support (including DCSS cases, & help with wage assignments and Driver’s License suspension)
  • Spousal Support
  • Objection to Mediation or Evaluation (form only)
  • Mandatory financial disclosures (Workshop only)
  • Joinder (with exceptions)
  • Grandparent visitation
  • Property Issues
  • Division of retirement plans (QDRO)
  • Discovery/subpoena
  • Trial Preparation
  • Collections (except wage assignments for support)
  • Complex cases that require legal advice
  • Contempt

Non-Family Law

Evictions/Housing

We Can Help We Cannot Help
  • Eviction Notices:
    • 3-day to Pay or Quit, 30, 60 and 90 day
  • Residential Eviction Cases (except Section 8):
    • Complaints, Answers,
    • Default/Default Judgment,
    • Set Asides, Stay of Eviction
  • Evictions involving Section 8 housing
  • Foreclosure
  • Discovery
  • HOA disputes
  • Trial preparation
  • Mobile homes
  • Business tenants

Probate Cases

We Can Help We Cannot Help
  • Guardianship of the Person only
  • Terminate/Object to Guardianship
  • Petition for Visitation in a Guardianship case
  • General Conservatorship of the Person only
  • Limited Conservatorship (through a Workshop)
  • Object to Conservatorship
  • Name and/or Gender Change – Adult or Minor
  • Establish Fact of Birth, Death or Marriage
  • Guardianship of the Estate
  • Conservatorship of the Estate
  • Terminate Conservatorship
  • Adoption
  • Probate (wills, etc.)
  • Real Estate Cases
  • Motions
  • Request to be Special Administrator

Other

We Can Help We Cannot Help
  • Civil

For access to Self Help Center form packets visit Complete Forms at Home. For access to individual Judicial Council forms visit www.courts.ca.gov .

For Self-Help Customer Feedback form click here.