By Hunter Hurst IV, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges

Navigating family court can be overwhelming, confusing, and stressful for families. Many people have financial barriers to accessing counsel, cannot qualify for traditional civil legal services, and are self-represented in their legal matters. The stress and risks involved in court appearances are amplified for survivors of violence. As part of an effort to build evidence for promising solutions, the Resource Center on Domestic Violence: Child Protection and Custody (RCDV:CPC) worked with Legal Information for Families Today (LIFT) to design and implement a client feedback process. This snapshot highlights LIFT’s experience augmenting their existing data to incorporate client voices systematically and measure the impact of their legal consultation services for self-represented families.