** Due to COVID, the Courthouse Facilitator services are by phone appointment only until further notice.

 **Courthouse Facilitator may only assist Pro Se litigants (people representing themselves).

The courthouse facilitator helps facilitate to empower Pro Se individuals with necessary instructions, forms, and efforts necessary to participate in the Family Court. The program was established to provide assistance to citizens who choose to or who cannot afford an attorney to represent them in matters dealing with divorce (dissolution), custody, child support, or paternity matters. Because of a reduction in free legal service programs, more than half of the cases filed have a pro se (self-represented) litigant involved. The Family Court Facilitator is a non-attorney who provides general information to individuals who represent themselves in Superior Court in family law/domestic relations matters.

Family Law / Domestic Relations Matters include:

• Dissolution/Legal Separation/Invalidity of a Marriage
• Modification of Custody/Parenting Plan
• Modification of Child Support Order
• Establishment of Parentage (Paternity)
• Contempt of Court Orders
• Ex Parte Family Law Orders

What Can Be Provided

Information the Family Law Court House Facilitator may provide:

• What mandatory forms are available and how to acquire them.
• Which forms to complete to begin and to finalize a legal action.
• Review of completed forms for procedural correctness (necessary blanks filled in and signed where required).
• Explain local procedures for setting motions and other hearings on the court calendars.
• Informational brochures and instruction sheets relating to domestic relation matters.
• Information regarding referrals to mediation, legal, social service and governmental agencies.

* Find forms and instructions for many civil case types on the Washington Courts website.

and the Washington Law Help website.

Family Court Facilitator User Fee

• The Family Court Facilitator User Fee is a fee of $25 that must be paid to the Clerk's Office prior to your visit with the Family Court Facilitator.
• The Clerk's Office accepts cash, cashier's checks or money orders only. Be sure to keep your receipt for verification - it must be presented in order to set your appointment session time. The user fee (of $25 or $10 if reduced) must be paid in the Clerk's Office before you may schedule an appointment or sign-up for the walk-in sheet.
• You must provide proof of state assistance in order to reduce the user fee to $10.
• You must save your receipt from the Clerk's Office and present to the Court Facilitator in order to schedule an appointment or sign-in for the walk-in sheet.

The Family Court Facilitator may only assist you with cases filed in Skamania County. The Court Facilitator can not not provide legal advice or fill out your forms for you.

• There will be no refunds of the Family Court Facilitator user fee.If you are working on a Residential Schedule Action and want the Facilitator to review your documents, you must have proof of paternity in the court file or with you to sign in. That would include the original copy of Paternity Affidavit or birth certificate or certified copy of the same.

Facilitator Review

Scheduled Appointments:
Appointments are scheduled for 30 minutes each. Appointment times vary depending on the court schedules each week so you will need to call in advance to see what the schedule is for that week. We require 24 hour advance notice in order to cancel or reschedule an appointment.

Please call (509) 427-3765 to make an appointment or if in person ask at the Superior Court Clerk window for assistance.