Judge Kovack creates Legal Resource Center to help people involved in domestic relations court

Rreprinted with persmission of The Gazette

Staff Writer

MEDINA — In an effort to help people who can't afford an attorney or who just prefer not to hire one, Domestic Relations Judge Mary Kovack has created a Legal Resource Center for the public.

The center, which opens Tuesday, is designed to offer information about how the court works, forms, books and a computer workstation with programs to calculate child and spousal support.

"In domestic relations, people are often so emotional and upset it's a challenge just to sift through information, let alone to figure out which is accurate," Kovack said. "People going through these situations form kind of an informal grapevine that's not always correct."

Kovack developed the idea after serving on a task force established by the Ohio Supreme Court to find ways to make the legal system more accessible to the public, she said. The resource center was her answer to that issue on the local level, Kovack noted.

With more than 3,000 domestic relations cases processed each year, this center is designed to save the court time, in addition to saving people money, she said.

Although the center is not designed to be a substitute for legal advice, volunteer attorneys and legal interns will be available to answer questions.

"A lot of cases are too complicated to be reduced to a single form," Kovack said. "This could help people who can afford a lawyer to realize they need the advice of an experienced attorney."

Local attorneys Todd Cheek and Julian Renswick have volunteered to staff the center.

"People need legal assistance even if they may not be able to afford it," Rens-wick said. "An attorney usually has enough time to volunteer a given number of hours each week. That's what I'm doing."

"Divorce can be very technical and difficult to handle," Cheek said. "People just need an explanation as to what's going on and what will happen next. It's an opportunity for me to give something back to this community."

The center, in a room off the courtroom, will be open to the public during normal courthouse hours, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The center will be staffed by volunteer lawyers Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 4 p.m. Information is available by calling 330-764-8154.

Kovack also offers a free mediation program for county residents.

Sullivan may be reached at 330-721-4064 or dsullivan@ohio.net.