GREEN COVE SPRINGS — Saving money and getting legal assistance has never been easier when it comes to the Clay County Clerk of Court and Comptroller’s Low Bono services.

And one new addition is taking it a step further.

The courthouse’s legal assistance program is now offered online, making it convenient for users to access virtually.

From child support, divorce and domestic violence injunctions, to paternity and probate, the program connects self-representing litigants, or pro se litigants, with licensed attorneys willing to assist civil cases at a low cost, whether that be with case guidance, or form and packet reviews.

The program benefits those who don’t qualify for Pro Bono services (these are free and provided by the Legal Aide Office), but also lack the funds to pay for a private attorney.

Generally, hourly rates for Florida attorneys can range anywhere from $150 to $500 an hour. Local volunteer attorneys run the Low Bono sessions at 30 minutes for $50 and an hour for $80. 

Clerk Tara Green said that these pro se litigants are often people trying to navigate the legal landscape, getting lost with the requirements of forms and filings, and frequently filling them out incorrectly. This, in turn, can lead to a longer court process.

This program does its best to prevent that.

“It was to offer something to the public that was useful and needed, but also build some economies in the judicial system for our judges, so that when something makes it to them, they can work that case more efficiently because the paperwork has been filled out by a professional,” Green said.

In an initiative spearheaded by Green and with the help of General Counsel Brian Byrd, the program was relaunched last year following a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With sessions being held in-person, Byrd said adding a virtual option was imperative.

“We had failures to appear, we had numerous people, attorneys as well, who said they would really like a virtual option,” Byrd said.

With the help of Chief Technology Officer Justin Horan and Clerk’s Office Info Systems Specialist Mitchell Mackoul, Byrd said the office was able to create the software in-house in just a few months. 

A user-friendly, third-party Zoom option now enables litigants to access assistance at their fingertips, while providing attorneys with an efficient scheduling system.

“We actually had a lot when we first announced the virtual appointments. They opened up a bunch of time slots [and] they really quickly filled up,” Mackoul said. 

Pro se litigants can visit clayclerk.com, schedule an available appointment either in person or virtually, select their case type, and fill out the necessary information, giving attorneys the ability to research their case beforehand.

Litigants can also opt in to receive a reminder email and text 24 hours before their appointment.

There is an option available for those who speak Spanish, which Public Information Officer Mary Justino said is a significant help to the office.

Currently, five local attorneys volunteer their time for the program; however, Byrd said they hope the new option will encourage more participation.

“When you're talking about a volunteer, when they could be doing full time proper legal work and you know be getting proper payment for that, asking them to do any kind of work volunteer or at a reduced fee means, you need to make it either easy for them or you need to make it worth it for them,” Mackoul said. “And I think giving the option for these much more convenient Zoom appointments is going to massively improve the convenience factor.”

To learn more or schedule an appointment, visit cleyclerk.com or call the Civil Department at (904) 269-6361.