About the Clinic

The Pro–Se–Plus Divorce Clinic is a two–session workshop conducted each month at D.C. Superior Court to assist unrepresented litigants in obtaining uncontested divorces. Clinics are held during non–business hours, usually on two consecutive Saturday mornings or Tuesday evenings.

During Session I, volunteer instructors teach Clinic participants about the grounds for divorce, basic marital property/debt, alimony, child custody and child support issues, filing requirements, contested versus uncontested divorces, service of process issues, absent defendants, and default proceedings. Instructors will also conduct a mock uncontested divorce hearing.

During Session II, volunteer instructors assist participants with filling out required forms and pleadings and answer individual questions. Participants who discover contested matters will be provided additional information and referrals whenever possible.

The clinic is conducted by volunteer instructors who have attended a three–hour training session. Volunteers work in teams of three to five instructors led by an experienced family law practitioner to teach clinic participants about D.C. divorce law and civil procedure using a curriculum and teaching materials developed and provided by the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program. Volunteers must be attorneys or paralegals, but need not be licensed to practice law. Volunteers may sign up to teach the clinic as frequently or infrequently as they wish. Training sessions for new volunteers are held once per year at the D.C. Bar.

Clinics are held during non–business hours, usually on Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. or on Thursday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m.

The clinic sessions are held at the D.C. Superior Court, H. Carl Moultrie I Courthouse, 500 Indiana Avenue NW, Washington, D.C.

To arrive by Metro, take the red line to the Judiciary Square Metro station, walk one block west on F Street NW. Turn left on 5th Street NW and walk two blocks south on 5th Street NW. Total walking distance is 0.25 miles.

Source: www.dcbar.org