Page 9 - MarchApril26 Report

tion. Of the nearly 25,000 people served by the Help
Center in 2025, almost 22,000 of those received legal
information (including guides and forms).
Appointments with
an Attorney
In addition to information, the Help Center also
assists people by providing access to an attorney who
will meet with them for 40 minutes to discuss various
legal issues at no charge. During this appointment,
the attorney can provide advice that ranges from
general court procedures to case evaluation to
preparation of customized pleadings. Visitors will
oftentimes have a misunderstanding about what goes
into litigating a case and what filing a lawsuit can
accomplish. Advising people about what to expect
after filing a lawsuit (and that getting a judgment is
not the same as getting paid) can prevent someone
from plunging into a lawsuit blind. As the saying
goes, “you can’t know what you don’t know.”
The pleading forms available to all visitors address
many of the most common issues facing Help Center
visitors. These include:
•
•
•
eviction complaint forms for “mom-and-pop”
landlords;
answers to debt collection lawsuits that include
frequently pleaded affirmative defenses (for
example, whether the plaintiff has standing to
pursue an assigned claim); and
motions to continue hearings.
However, there are times when visitors need some-
thing that is either more customized or the visitor
lacks the ability to complete these forms on their own.
During these appointments, an attorney can prepare
a pleading that speaks more specifically to the visitor’s
needs. For example, the Help Center was contacted by
a tenant who received a notice that she was going to be
set out from her residence in a week. This tenant had
been instructed by her landlord that she did not need
to attend an eviction hearing because she had paid her
rent following the filing of the eviction complaint. One
of the Help Center attorneys met with the tenant and
prepared a motion to stay the writ. This motion walked
through all of the facts of the case and incorporated
exhibits (including an affidavit from the tenant, proof
of payment, and a text message exchange between the
landlord and tenant). The tenant then filed the motion
to stay the writ with the court. The court granted the
motion to stay the writ, set a new trial, and ultimately
dismissed the eviction complaint. Help Center staff
and volunteer attorneys scheduled 2,027 appointments
to assist people just like this tenant in 2025.
Expansion Into New Courts
Six years after its founding, the Clerk of Courts saw
an opportunity to expand the Help Center’s services
beyond the Municipal Court. Working in partner-
ship with the Juvenile Court, the Juvenile Court Help
Center launched in August of 2023. This Help Center
branch has put its focus on aiding unrepresented
people with custody matters. These include issues
pertaining to custody between parents that have not
been married to each other as well as kinship matters
“
In 2025, the
Help Center
assisted
24,783
people
How to Get Help
If you or someone you know needs legal information or limited legal advice about one of the topics discussed in this article, you can share
the following information:
Municipal civil,
eviction, debt
collection, or
foreclosure defense
Call 513-946-5650. You can
also visit the Help Center in
person at the Main Court-
house, located at 1000 Main
Street, Room 113. Hours
of operation are Monday
through Thursday from 8 am
to 3:30 pm; Fridays from 8
am to 3 pm.
Eviction
Representation
Call the Help Center to
check on attorney availability
and tenant eligibility. Avail-
ability for representation is
on a first come, first served
basis. Tenants can also
appear at eviction court an
hour before their scheduled
hearing to check on avail-
ability. Eviction hearings take
place in Courtroom B of the
Justice Center (1000 Syca-
more Street).
Juvenile Custody
Call 513-946-9440. You can
also visit the Juvenile Court
Help Center in person at
800 Broadway on the first
floor (immediately to your
right after you pass through
security). Hours of oper-
ation are Monday through
Wednesday and Friday from
8 am to 4 pm; Thursdays,
from 8 am to 3 pm.
Domestic Relations
Court
You can visit the DR Help
Center in person at 800
Broadway on the first floor
(next door to the Juve-
nile Court Help Center).
Currently operated as a
walk-in center on Mondays
and Wednesdays from 9 am
to 3 pm.
You can find more information online at www.cincyhelpcenter.org.
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