Guilford County Board of Commissioners in favor of new Legal Support Center

The Guilford County Board of Commissioners embraced a proposal for a new Legal Support Center in a work session Thursday that could help people without lawyers navigate the court system better.

According to a presentation to the Board of Commissioners, there is only one legal aid attorney for every 10,000 North Carolinians eligible for legal services.

Guilford County District Court Chief Judge Teresa Vincent said many are left to represent themselves and that's why a Legal Support Center is important.

"It will provide an avenue for self-represented litigants to be better prepared, and to reduce the number of delays that we have in hearings," Vincent said. "It would allow better access to justice in essence."

The center would provide a location for people to access legal documents. Vincent said it would also be staffed with an individual to answer questions, without offering legal advice.

Board Chair Skip Alston directed county staff to further review the proposal, determine costs and then return to the board.