A Comparative Study of Different Forms of Assistance in individual civil justice problems

University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI

Investigators

Abstract

This study will enhance understanding of how different forms of representation and assistance with procedures affect civil court proceedings for low-income participants in hearings. The investigators will evaluate how different assistance models shape proceedings in the context of individual-level proceedings, specifically civil contempt hearings. In this study examining how different assistance models shape legal access, the investigators examine and compare child support enforcement hearings in several sites across two states, selected because each state utilizes a distinct model of assistance. The study draws on four sources of data across the two models of legal assistance: focus groups with professionals who handle relevant cases, participant observation of proceedings, transcripts of proceedings, and review and analysis of corresponding court records. The study will contribute to an under-theorized area in the literature on assistance with state procedures. Thus far, research has focused primarily on analyzing the outcomes of civil cases in an effort to gauge the overall efficacy of assistance in obtaining positive case outcomes. This study examines an area that has received little attention, namely, how representation and other forms of legal assistance make a difference, and what kind of a difference assistance makes. This study informs the ongoing policy debate about how best to secure fair proceedings for people with individual-level claims. This project will provide the empirical base necessary for creating evidence-based policy and intervention.