Beginning on July 1, persons who cannot afford an attorney may be eligible to receive free or low-cost legal help for divorce, TROs, small claims, landlord/tenant and other civil cases filed in the Family and District Courts. A collaboration between the state court system’s Fifth Circuit and the Legal Aid Society of Hawai`i (LASH), the Courthouse Assistance Project (CAP) will offer legal assistance from an office on the first floor of the courthouse in Lihu`e.

Legal services for criminal and traffic cases will not be provided through the CAP.

A LASH attorney will be at the courthouse to help income eligible and under-represented court users on:

Mondays: 8:30 a.m. – Noon
Tuesdays: 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Wednesdays: 9:00 a.m. – Noon

“The number of litigants appearing in court without an attorney continues to grow,” said Fifth Circuit Chief Judge Randal Valenciano. “They need more help than judges and court staff can and are allowed to provide. The Courthouse Assistance Project will benefit the many who cannot afford an attorney, as well as judges and court staff. I am pleased that the Legal Aid Society of Hawai`i and the Judiciary is providing this much-needed service,” he said.

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Contact: Marsha Kitagawa, 539-4909