Family Law Day is returning to Colorado Springs this week. Mark your calendars for Friday. You will have a chance to learn about several legal topics and even take part in oneon-one meetings with attorneys.

“Acting on your own behalf in a family law case can be complicated, both intellectually and emotionally,” reads a statement by District Court Judge Catherine Mitchell Helton on The Justice Center’s website.

“The more informed a pro se litigant (someone who represents themselves in a legal case) is about the process and the law, the better position he or she will be in to present their case effectively to a judge, or to participate in mediation to resolve issues in the best interest of their children and family. Family Law Day is available to provide information and support to community members who are interested in learning more about family law procedure, law, and available resources.”

It’s important for anyone to be well educated before taking their case in front of a judge without an attorney present. But legal experts say it’s even more important that anyone who is not able to afford counsel is able to access free resources and education before heading to court.

Mitchell Helton says, “We are happy to offer this program to those in the community who may be experiencing a difficult time in their lives, offering support to those experiencing a difficult time, and to anyone who is interested in learning more about family law cases in the 4th Judicial District.”

The event is being put on by the 4th Judicial District Courts and Probation, the Justice Center, Colorado Legal Services and the El Paso County Bar Association. It’s taking place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the El Paso County Combined Courts, 270 S. Tejon St.

There will be free classes with topics including How to Present your Case, Divorce and Allocation of Parental Responsibilities, Child Support and Maintenance and more. You can also register for a free 15-minute session, Meet-a-lawyer, with a family law attorney. You can register for the event and find more information at JusticecenterCos.org. You can also send an email to Familylawday@gmail.com.

If you are not able to make it to this event, you can get free legal advice from volunteer attorneys every week. The Justice Center teams up with the El Paso County Bar Association for the Call-a-lawyer clinic every Wednesday from 7-8:30 p.m. You can call 719473-6212, but just know that the phone lines fill up quickly. Call early so that you can speak with a volunteer attorney to get brief legal advice.