Legal Self-Help Center Open in Wyandotte County District Courthouse
People in Wyandotte County who need legal help but can’t afford an attorney can now help themselves -- either by representing themselves or by taking advantage of a free attorney at the new Wyandotte County Self-Help Center.
In February 2020, Wyandotte County District Court and Kansas Legal Services (KLS) began collaborating to provide self-represented, low-income persons legal advice and limited scope legal assistance at the Wyandotte County District Courthouse Legal Self-Help Center, 710 N. 7th Street, Kansas City, Kansas.
A Kansas Legal Services attorney will take appointments on Mondays from 1-5 pm and Fridays from 8 am-12 regarding a variety of civil legal issues, such as:
- family law
- protection orders,
- evictions,
- foreclosures
- guardianships
- small claims cases, and more.
Applicants must income-qualify for the free legal assistance from KLS. However, there are other free resources for users. The center offers computers with links to legal information and free, court-ready forms for people to use and print for their particular legal issue. Free forms include divorce with or without children, name change, expungement of criminal record, paternity, guardianship, request for restricted driver’s license, and more.
Legal self-help centers have been popping up in district courthouses all over Kansas. Johnson County District Court was one of the first centers in the state. Now Wyandotte County will provide this resource for persons in the county who can't afford an attorney or who simply want to help themselves.
Wyandotte County has a poverty population of about 20 to 22 percent, compared to about 13 percent for the state. Many of these low income people have legal problems that could be resolved with an often simple solution. Kansas Legal Services has been serving low income persons in Kansas for over 40 years, yet can’t meet the high demand. Helping people help themselves with civil legal issues is a way to address that problem. KLS and Wyandotte County District Court are proud to work together to give vulnerable Kansans greater access to the judicial system.
Please contact Alexandria English, Assistant Managing Attorney, Kansas Legal Services, englisha@klsinc.org or 913-621-0200, or Anita M. Peterson, District Court Administrator, 913-573-2940, to learn more about this project.
