W Palm Beach Elder Justice Center takes on civil matters

The Elder Justice Center on the second floor of the Palm Beach County Courthouse, at 205 N. Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach has been around since 2001, but it wasn’t equipped to help residents with civil matters until this year. “It was basically known all around that all we did was criminal,” said Fay Hewitt, the center’s coordinator. Increasingly, the center received calls from people who needed help filling out complicated legal forms or legal guidance. Enter Wier, who graduated from a paralegal program last year. She has spent the past several months fielding requests from dozens of residents who need assistance navigating through what can be an intimidating process. Plans are under way to have a more consistent presence at the South County Courthouse in Delray Beach, where Wier or another staffer will go on an as-needed basis or if requested by a judge, Hewitt said. The North County Courthouse in Palm Beach Gardens is staffed several hours a week.

Source/more:  http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flelder0708pnjul08,0,5558194.story?coll=sfla-news-palm