Southwest Georgia Legal Self-Help Center looking to expand in Albany

ALBANY — A self-help legal center based in southwest Georgia could be a model for the rest of the state with a little help in widening the funding base, Dougherty County Commissioners were told on Monday.

Albany attorney John H. Kirbo made a pitch to commissioners that would require no taxpayer money. His request was for the commission to ask state lawmakers in the area to sponsor legislation that would add a $5 or $10 fee to Magistrate Court fees.

The Southwest Georgia Legal Self-Help Center was formed in 2018 and is separate from the law library.

“The problem is people don’t know what to do in a law library, except lawyers,” Kirbo said.

In many instances individuals show up in the wrong courtroom and take up time as judges have to explain the mistake to them, he said. The self-help center assists residents in navigating the legal maze.

“We can point (citizens with business in the courtroom) to a map and say, ‘This is where you need to go. Here are the forms you need to fill out. We can’t represent you, but we can point you in the right direction,’” Kirbo told commissioners.

Probate and Magistrate court cases are among the most common in which individuals would benefit.

“We’ve seen the results through the courts, and we’ve seen the results in the people we’ve helped,” Kirbo said. “If we can keep this going in Dougherty County, we think we can get this going across the state.”

Courts are currently backlogged due to the lengthy closure of courthouses during the COVID-19 pandemic, Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas, an attorney who formerly worked with the Dougherty County District Attorney’s Office, said.

“I’ve never seen anything like this in terms of being backed up,” Cohilas said. “I think anything that can increase efficiency is a good thing.”

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]