Unrepresented Litigants' Bill of Rights for New York City Family Court
Legal Information for Families Today (LIFT) provides support and services to litigants navigating the Family Court system without an attorney. LIFT recognized that unrepresented litigants often do not understand their basic rights, creating a significant obstacle to their success in court. The Capstone team helped LIFT develop the first Unrepresented Litigants' Bill of Rights and provided recommendations for the implementation and dissemination of the document. Using surveys, interviews, and focus groups with unrepresented litigants and court staff, the Capstone team researched how much litigants know about their rights, and whether the Litigants' Bill of Rights could be used in Family Court. The Bill of Rights and final report will help LIFT improve its services in Family Court and provide recommendations for how to improve the overall court process.