Posted August 3, 2015
By Dan Trevas
Portage County Domestic Relations Judge Paula C. Giulitto expressed concern that too many individuals without attorneys are entering her courtroom unprepared to navigate the tricky legal questions raised in family disputes.
“As a judge, I can’t provide them legal advice,” she said. “But we have too many people coming before us that simply don’t understand the process and are in need of legal advice.”
That is why Judge Giulitto has teamed up with the Portage County Bar Association to offer a new 4-hour a month domestic relations legal clinic that is conducted on the first Wednesday of each month, starting Aug. 5. Judge Giulitto is offering a room in the Portage County Courthouse for volunteer lawyers to meet with those seeking advice. Otherwise, the program is being run by the county bar association entirely through volunteer efforts.
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Portage Co. Bar Starts Domestic Relations Legal Clinic
Posted July 31, 2015
By Tracey Blair
Peter C. Kratcoski has been practicing law since 1988.
In recent years, he’s been seeing more and more people needing help with all aspects of domestic relations law.
So Kratcoski and other members of the Portage County Bar Association decided to do something about it.
The Portage County Bar Association Domestic Relations Clinic is a new program that arose from the community’s need.
Once a month, a Portage County lawyer will donate four hours of their time to provide free legal advice regarding domestic relations issues. Each individual is given a 30-minute, no-strings-attached consultation.
“People forget we’re counselors as well as attorneys,” Kratcoski said. “The overall idea behind the legal clinic is to serve the community at large. Within that half hour, we will provide them with guidance to make decisions on their marriage and their lives. Issues could be with child custody, child support, spousal support, divorce dissolution – even domestic violence in some cases. Some consultations may result in us telling them they have other options besides court, like marriage counseling.”
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Bar Association to Start Domestic Relations Clinic
Posted August 2, 2015
By Mike Sever
Starting this Wednesday, the Portage County Bar Association is sponsoring a free, monthly domestic relations legal clinic for Portage residents with marriage or custody-type questions.
Judge Paula Giulitto said the clinic is for people who have a question about marriage, custody, child support, visitation, or other domestic relations situations. Attorney Peter Kratcoski, chairman of the domestic relations committee of the bar association, is leading the clinic. A dozen attorneys are already signed on, and more may do so, Kratcoski said.
The bar association’s committee saw the need, he said, and wanted to give something back to the community.
“A lot of folks get information, legal and nonlegal information- which is good, educate yourself as much as possible. But there’s also a lot of misinformation”, Kratcoski said.
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