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“Info about the Eighth Judicial District Court.”

Category Archives: Legal Aid

May 5, 2021 Stalking and harassment temporary protective orders can now be submitted online making it easier to petition the court

Those who want to submit an online application for a stalking and harassment TPO should visit https://nevada.tylerhost.net/SRL/SRL/ExecuteInterviews. A guided application offers a step-by-step guide to complete a request for a protective order from the court. Upon completion of the stalking and harassment protective order form, applicants are instructed to e-file it.

Applications for stalking and harassment temporary protective orders (TPOs) can now be submitted online. The availability of online submission by all users is a big step forward that makes it much easier for those looking to petition the courts for a protective order against stalking and harassment. Those who want to submit an online application for a stalking and harassment TPO should visit https://nevada.tylerhost.net/SRL/SRL/ExecuteInterviews

A guided application offers a step-by-step guide to complete a request for a protective order from the court. Upon completion of the stalking and harassment protective order form, applicants are instructed to e-file it. The applications can be e-filed from any internet-enabled computer.

In April 2020, when people quarantined as the pandemic hit our community hard, the Nevada Eighth Judicial District Court launched an online guided application for domestic violence temporary protective orders. The online application, was made available through the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada Self Help website https://www.civillawselfhelpcenter.org/

The application for a stalking and harassment temporary protective order is one of 26 guided forms available online to assist users with court filings. The guided forms can be found at https://nevada.tylerhost.net/srl including: landlord tenant issues and petitions for judicial review of unemployment claims. The stalking and harassment application is currently the only form that can be e-filed by self-represented litigants, but the online submission capability is forthcoming for other forms available through the Legal Aid Self-Help Center.

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April 22, 2021 Green lining from pandemic and technology upgrades in court

When the pandemic hit, thanks to the ongoing drive to update technology and improve efficiency, the District Court was well positioned to keep operating (with a huge amount of work from court IT). Hearings have been conducted remotely on a massive scale. It is a shift that was once unthinkable, yet now likely to endure in part past the pandemic. Criminal trials are live-streamed from courtrooms that have coronavirus safety measures in place.

Over the years, courts have generated a tremendous amount of filings and paperwork. Electronic filing became mandatory on February 1, 2010 in the Eighth Judicial District Court of Nevada. It was a huge undertaking that resulted in significant improvements to court efficiency. A tremendous amount of paper and printing has since been spared, due to the conversion. The need for travel to and from the courthouse was also cut drastically. The conversion improved convenience and timeliness. It opened space at the courthouse. During the initial conversion, more than 30 million pages of legal documents were scanned and converted to electronic files, which made way for eight new courtrooms due to paper storage elimination. It also provided environmental benefits including: less paper and reduced greenhouse gases.

Since that time, the court has forged ahead in a digital direction. The ability to issue summonses, defaults, writs and warrants electronically enabled the court to perform these essential functions during the pandemic.

Guide and File, an online portal is being accessed increasingly to guide self-represented litigants online through the filing process with a tailored menu of questions through automated court forms. This system can be accessed via the Self-Help Center websites http://www.clarkcountycourts.us/self-help-centers/ and kiosks at Legal Aid Self Help Centers at the Regional Justice Center and Family Court. Completed forms are ready to be filed into the court case management systems. It has proven to be invaluable for users during the pandemic. Development is underway to enable users to e-file from any computer with adequate Internet capabilities.

There are currently 26 Guide and File interview options including:

  1. CHILD CUSTODY: Answer & Counterclaim (Clark County)
  2. CHILD CUSTODY: Complaint (Clark County)
  3. COLLECTION: Writs, Notice, and Instructions (Clark County)
  4. CREMATION: Probate Petition for Cremation (Clark County)
  5. DISBURSE MONEY: Petition to Disburse from Minor’s Account (Clark County)
  6. DIVORCE: Answer & Counterclaim (Clark County)
  7. DIVORCE: Complaint (Clark County)
  8. DIVORCE: Joint Petition (Clark County)
  9. FAMILY CASES: Motion for Temporary Orders (Clark County)
  10. FAMILY CASES: Motion to Modify Child Custody, Visitation, and Child Support (Clark County)
  11. FEE WAIVER: Application (Clark County)
  12. GUARDIANSHIP: Adult Guardianship Petition (Clark County)
  13. LANDLORD/TENANT: Complaint for Illegal Lockout or Loss of Essential Services
  14. MEDICAL RECORDS: Probate Petition for Medical Records (Clark County)
  15. NAME CHANGE: Adult Name Change (Clark County)
  16. SAFE DEPOSIT BOX: Probate Petition to Open Safe Deposit Box (Clark County)
  17. SMALL CLAIMS: Complaint (Clark County)
  18. SMALL CLAIMS: Counterclaim (Clark County)
  19. SPECIAL ADMINISTRATION: Probate Petition for Special Letters (Clark County)
  20. SUMMARY EVICTION: Tenant’s Answer (Clark County)
  21. SUMMARY EVICTION: Tenant’s Proof of Service
  22. TRANSFER & AFFIDAVIT: Probate Petition for Transfer of Property & Affidavit of Entitlement (Clark County)
  23. UNEMPLOYMENT JUDICIAL REVIEW: Step 1 – Which interview should I do? (Clark County)
  24. UNEMPLOYMENT JUDICIAL REVIEW: Step 2 – Petition for Judicial Review (Clark County)
  25. UNEMPLOYMENT JUDICIAL REVIEW: Step 3 – Opening Brief (Clark County)
  26. UNEMPLOYMENT JUDICIAL REVIEW: Step 4 – Reply Brief (Clark County)

The pandemic has taken a harsh toll, but it also revealed resilience and commitment to move forward.

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August 11, 2020 Legal Aid Self-Help Center helps self-represented litigants remotely during coronavirus pandemic

Those who represent themselves in court often don’t know where to begin to address their court matter. Completing and filing forms is usually part of the process. The Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada Civil Law Self Help Center helps those who represent themselves in court on civil matters navigate the system. The Family Law Self-Help Center helps self-represented litigants navigate Family Court matters. Since the coronavirus has brought on the need to reduce those visiting the courthouse, both Self-Help Centers are assisting pro per litigants via phone and email. The Self-Help Centers don’t give legal advice; they do direct litigants to the proper forms.

The Civil Legal Aid Self-Help Center can be reached at 702-671-3976 or flshcinfo@lacsn.org on Mondays through Thursdays, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

For assistance from the Family Law Self-Help Center call 702-455-1500 or visit slshcinfo@lacswww.FamilyLawSelfHelpCenter.orgn.org on Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Las Vegas Justice Court clerks’ office is open for walk-in filings, and e-filing. The District Court clerks’ office has an e-filing option as well, but they are closed to walk-ins.

Guide and File forms have been introduced to help self-represented litigants complete filing paperwork properly. The civil and family law Self-Help Centers currently offer 26 guided interviews, with more being developed. The guided interviews ensure that litigants create clear and legible filings that meet all requirements. The system guides pro per litigants through the legal forms with focused questions (called interviews) that generate automated court forms based on their responses. Completed forms can then be filed into the court case management system.

The interviews guide the users to complete the forms correctly. The guided form interviews don’t help users come up with answers or give users specific answers they should enter to meet the legal requirements. If the questions in the interviews are not clear to users, they are instructed to read the section of the Self-Help Center’s website on the form topic http://www.clarkcountycourts.us/self-help-centers/.

The following interviews have been completed and are in use: https://nevada.tylerhost.net/SRL/srl/

  1. Child Custody Answer & Counterclaim (Clark County)
  2. Child Custody Complaint (Clark County)
  3. Collection: Writs, Notice and Instruction (Clark County)
  4. Cremation: Probate Petition for cremation (Clark County)
  5. Disburse Money: Petition to disburse money from Minor’s Account (Clark County)
  6. Divorce: Answer and Counterclaim (Clark County)
  7. Divorce Complaint (Clark County)
  8. Divorce Joint petition for divorce (Clark County)
  9. Family Cases: Motion for Temporary Orders (Clark County)
  10. Family Cases: Motion to Modify child custody, visitation, and child support (Clark County)
  11. Fee waiver: Application (Clark County)
  12. Landlord/Tennant: Complaint for Illegal Lockout or Loss of Essential Services
  13. Medical Records: probate Petition for Medical Records (Clark County)
  14. Name Change: Adult name change request (Clark County)
  15. Safe Deposit Box : Probate Petition to Open Safe Deposit Box (Clark County)
  16. Small Claims: Complaint (Clark County)
  17. Small Claims: Counterclaims (Clark County)
  18. Special Administration: Probate Petition for Special Letters (Clark County)
  19. Stalking & Harassment: Application for Temporary Protective Order NV protection Order against stalking or harassment
  20. Summary Eviction: Landlord’s Complaint (Clark County)
  21. Summary Eviction: Tennant’s Answer (Clark County)
  22. Transfer & Affidavit: Probate petition for Transfer of Property & Affidavit of Entitlement (Clark County)
  23. Unemployment Judicial Review: Step 1 Which Interview should I do? (Clark County)
  24. Unemployment Judicial review: Step 2 – Petition for Judicial Review (Clark County)
  25. Unemployment Judicial Review: Step 3 – Opening Brief (Clark County)
  26. Unemployment Judicial Review; Step 4 – Reply Brief (Clark County)

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May 1, 2019 23 Guide and File forms now available to make do-it-yourself court filings easier

Guide and File offers an online portal available to users with Internet access or at Legal Aid Self-Help Centers.  The system guides self represented or pro per litigants through the legal forms with focused questions that generate automated court forms based on their responses.
The Regional Justice Center is located at 200 Lewis Ave.

To aid those who represent themselves in court and improve access to justice, the Eighth Judicial District Court offers 23 Guide and File forms at the Legal Aid Self-help Centers at the Regional Justice Center, at family court, or to  those with Internet access.  The system guides self represented or pro per litigants through the completion of  legal forms with focused questions. Completed forms can then be filed at the courthouse into the court case management system.

The civil and family law Legal Aid Self-Help Centers have introduced 23 guided interviews, with more being developed. The guided interviews ensure that litigants create clear and legible filings that meet all requirements. Those who work in the Legal Aid Self-Help Centers report that through the use of Guide and File, there has been a marked reduction in errors. Cutting errors when filings are initiated, saves users time and facilitates court processes. Prior to the implementation of Guide and File, court time was tied up addressing improper filings.

Thousands of interviews have been successfully completed including: Nevada protection orders against stalking or harassment, adult name changes,  District Court fee waivers,  complaints for divorce,  joint petitions for divorce (no kids),  joint petitions for divorce, petitions to disburse money, small claims complaints, summary eviction complaints,  tenant answer to summary evictions, custody complaints , divorce answers and counterclaims,  custody answers and counterclaims , unemployment judicial reviews step one petitions, petitions to order release of medical records, petitions for cremation, criminal record sealing requests and  small claims answers/counterclaims. In District Court user surveys, most report Guide and File as very easy or easy to use, with few respondents reporting the system as difficult or very difficult.

The following Guide and File forms/interviews are in use:

  1. Adult name change request
  2. District Court fee waiver
  3. Joint petition for divorce
  4. Complaint for Divorce
  5. Divorce Answer and Counterclaim
  6. Custody Complaint
  7. Custody Answer & Counterclaim
  8. Petition to disburse money from a minor’s blocked account
  9. Small claims complaint
  10. Tenant answer to summary eviction
  11. NV protection Order against stalking or harassment
  12. Collection of Judgment
  13. Summary Eviction Complaint
  14. Petition for Cremation
  15. Petition for Special Letters of Administration
  16. Petition to Open Safe Deposit Box
  17. Petition to Order release of Medical Records
  18. Unemployment Judicial Review –Start:  Which Interview is right?
  19. Unemployment Judicial review – Petition for Judicial Review
  20. Unemployment Judicial Review – Opening Brief
  21. Unemployment Judicial Review – Reply Brief
  22. Petition for Transfer of Property & Affidavit of Entitlement
  23. Small Claims Counterclaim

A citizen oriented approach is necessary to ensure access to justice for all. People are becoming more accustomed to, and in many cases, demanding of, do-it-yourself options; not only because they tend to be cheaper, but also because electronic filings offer more flexibility. From a cost, efficiency and user standpoint, Guide and File offers a solution to an issue that has challenged the courts.

The Nevada Eighth Judicial District Court Guide and File system made the list of the top-10 court technology solutions as named by the National Association for Court Management  and the 2018 Tyler Excellence Award.

 

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May 29, 2015 Timothy Kuhls honored by judges as May pro bono attorney


Timothy Kuhls is a relative newcomer who landed in Las Vegas in 2014 after a stint in New Jersey. Newly hired by Springel & Fink and waiting to pass the Nevada Bar, he used his spare time wisely by doing pro bono work at the urging of the man who just gave him a job, Lenny Fink a partner at Springel & Fink.

After thorough training, Tim took a pro bono case representing three siblings revolving through foster care due to their parents’ issues with substance abuse. He is currently representing the children on a fourth abuse/neglect petition filed against their natural parents and their termination of parental rights case. His nomination for the Pro Bono Award noted that a CAP attorney observed Tim during a TPR trial commented that he was doing an “amazing job” as the children’s counsel to ensure their permanency wishes were heard by the court and their legal interests were protected. That’s what earned him the honor of May pro bono attorney, for which he was given an award at the Civil Judges meeting by Presiding Civil Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez and a photo op with the judges.

Fulfilment, experience, respect, recognition and a great feeling are some of the benefits of doing pro bono work for those in need. Many of those in need are children. Information on volunteer opportunities is available at 702-386-1422 or visit http://www.lacsnprobono.org

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