The Indiana Supreme Court is extending the application deadline for customized versions of the “Family Matters: Choosing to Represent Yourself in Court” video.  The video was originally produced in 2008 to provide general information for people considering representing themselves in court. The Supreme Court will also produce customized versions, with county specific information.  The deadline to apply for a county specific video is April 10, 2009.

The goal of the video is to provide information to help people make informed decisions regarding legal representation.  The video provides details about the legal process and the responsibilities a person accepts when they appear in court without an attorney.  It was produced by the Indiana Supreme Court’s Division of State Court Administration, through the Family Court Project with partnership from the Indiana Bar Foundation.  It is available online, courts.IN.gov/webcast/prose.html, and was distributed in DVD format across the state. 

In addition to the statewide version, customized versions of the video were completed for three pilot counties—Johnson, Lake, and Monroe.  They each developed a plan for integrating the video into their existing Family Court programs.  The videos include specific information about the local courts and legal resources in each community.  Funding is now available to develop local versions of the video for 15 other counties. While preference will be given to counties participating in the Family Court Project, all counties are encouraged to apply.  There is no match or any other cost to the counties to participate in this project.

To apply for a customized video, visit courts.in.gov/family-court.  Questions can be directed to:

Loretta Oleksy
Family Court Project Manager
Indiana Supreme Court, Division of State Court Administration
30 South Meridian St., Suite 500
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317.233.0784