(a) Establishment of Programs.A chief judge, by administrative order, may establish a self-help program to facilitate access to family courts. The purpose of a self-help program is to assist self-represented litigants, within the bounds of this rule, to achieve fair and efficient resolution of their family law case. The purpose of a self-help program is not to provide legal advice to self-represented litigants. This rule applies only to programs established and operating under the auspices of the court pursuant to this rule.

(b) Definitions.

(1) "Family law case" means any case in the circuit that is assigned to the family law division.

(2) "Self-represented litigant" means any individual who seeks information to file, pursue, or respond to a family law case without the assistance of a lawyer authorized to practice before the court.

(3) "Self-help personnel" means lawyer and nonlawyer personnel in a self-help program.

(4) "Self-help program" means a program established and operating under the authority of this rule.

(5) "Approved form" means (A) Supreme Court approved forms or (B) forms that have been approved in writing by the chief judge of a circuit and that are not inconsistent with the Supreme Court approved forms, copies of which are to be sent to the Chief Justice, the chair of the Family Law Rules Committee of The Florida Bar, the chair of the Family Law Section of The Florida Bar, and the chair of the Family Court Steering Committee. Forms approved by a chief judge may be used unless specifically rejected by the Supreme Court.

(c) Services Provided. Self-help personnel may:

(1) encourage self-represented litigants to obtain legal advice;

(2) provide information about available pro bono legal services, low cost legal services, legal aid programs, and lawyer referral services;

(3) provide information about available approved forms, without providing advice or recommendation as to any specific course of action;

(4) provide approved forms and approved instructions on how to complete the forms;

(5) engage in limited oral communications to assist a person in the completion of blanks on approved forms;

(6) record information provided by a self-represented litigant on approved forms;

(7) provide, either orally or in writing, definitions of legal terminology from widely accepted legal dictionaries or other dictionaries without advising whether or not a particular definition is applicable to the self-represented litigant's situation;

(8) provide, either orally or in writing, citations of statutes and rules, without advising whether or not a particular statute or rule is applicable to the self-represented litigant's situation;

(9) provide docketed case information;

(10) provide general information about court process, practice, and procedure;

(11) provide information about mediation, required parenting courses, and courses for children of divorcing parents;

(12) provide, either orally or in writing, information from local rules or administrative orders;

(13) provide general information about local court operations;

(14) provide information about community services; and

(15) facilitate the setting of hearings.

(d) Limitations on Services. Self-help personnel shall not:

(1) provide legal advice or recommend a specific course of action for a self-represented litigant;

(2) provide interpretation of legal terminology, statutes, rules, orders, cases, or the constitution;

(3) provide information that must be kept confidential by statute, rule, or case law;

(4) deny a litigant's access to the court;

(5) encourage or discourage litigation;

(6) record information on forms for a self-represented litigant, except as otherwise provided by this rule;

(7) engage in oral communications other than those reasonably necessary to elicit factual information to complete the blanks on forms except as otherwise authorized by this rule;

(8) perform legal research for litigants;

(9) represent litigants in court; and

(10) lead litigants to believe that they are representing them as lawyers in any capacity or induce the public to rely upon them for legal advice.

(e) Unauthorized Practice of Law. The services listed in subdivision (c), when performed by nonlawyer personnel in a self-help program, shall not be the unauthorized practice of law.

(f) No Confidentiality. Notwithstanding ethics rules that govern attorneys, certified legal interns, and other persons working under the supervision of an attorney, information given by a self-represented litigant to self-help personnel is not confidential or privileged.

(g) No Conflict. Notwithstanding ethics rules that govern attorneys, certified legal interns, and other persons working under the supervision of an attorney, there is no conflict of interest in providing services to both parties.

(h) Notice of Limitation of Services Provided. Before receiving the services of a self-help program, self-help personnel shall thoroughly explain the "Notice of Limitation of Services Provided" disclaimer below. Each self-represented litigant, after receiving an explanation of the disclaimer, shall sign an acknowledgment that the disclaimer has been explained to the self-represented litigant and that the self-represented litigant understands the limitation of the services provided. The self-help personnel shall sign the acknowledgment certifying compliance with this requirement. The original shall be filed by the self-help personnel in the court file and a copy shall be provided to the self-represented litigant.

FIRMA

If information is provided by telephone, the notice of limitation of services provided shall be heard by all callers prior to speaking to self-help staff.

(i) Exemption. Self-help personnel are not required to complete Florida Family Law Form12.900, Disclosure From Nonlawyer, as required by rule 10-2.1, Rules Regulating The Florida Bar. The provisions in rule 10-2.1, Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, which require a nonlawyer to include the nonlawyer's name and identifying information on a form if the nonlawyer assisted in the completion of a form, are not applicable to self-help personnel unless the self-help personnel recorded the information on the form as authorized by this rule.

(j) Availability of Services. Self-help programs are available to all self-represented litigants in family law cases.

(k) Cost of Services. Self-help programs, as authorized by statute, may require self-represented litigants to pay the cost of services provided for by this rule, provided that the charge for persons who are indigent is substantially reduced or waived.

(l) Records. All records made or received in connection with the official business of a self-help program are judicial records and access to such records shall be governed by rule 2.051, Florida Rules of Judicial Administration.

(m) Domestic Violence Exclusion. Nothing in this rule shall restrict services provided by the clerk of the court or family or domestic/repeat violence intake personnel pursuant to rule 12.610.

1998 Adoption. It should be emphasized that the personnel in the self-help programs should not be providing legal advice to self-represented litigants. Self-help personnel should not engage in any activities that constitute the practice of law or inadvertently create an attorney-client relationship. Self-help programs should consistently encourage self-represented litigants to seek legal advice from a licensed attorney. The provisions of this rule only apply to programs established by the chief judge.
Subdivision (b). This rule applies only to assistance offered in family law cases. The types of family law cases included in a family law division may vary based on local rule and it is anticipated that a local rule establishing a self-help program may also exclude types of family law cases from the self-help program. Programs may operate with lawyer personnel, nonlawyer personnel, or a combination thereof.
Subdivision (c)(2). The self-help program is encouraged to cooperate with the local bar to develop a workable system to provide this information. The program may maintain information about members of The Florida Bar who are willing to provide services to self-represented litigants. The program may not show preference for a particular service, program, or attorney.
Subdivision (c)(3). In order to avoid the practice of law, the self-help personnel should not recommend a specific course of action.
Subdivision (c)(5). Self-help personnel should not suggest the specific information to be included in the blanks on the forms. Oral communications between the self-help personnel and the self-represented litigant should be focused on the type of information the form is designed to elicit.
Subdivision (c)(8). Self-help personnel should be familiar with the court rules and the most commonly used statutory provisions. Requests for information beyond these commonly used statutory provisions would require legal research, which is prohibited by subdivision (d)(8).
Subdivision (c)(9). Self-help personnel can have access to the court's docket and can provide information from the docket to the self-represented litigant.
Subdivision (f). Because an attorney-client relationship is not formed, the information provided by a self-represented litigant is not confidential or privileged.
Subdivision (g). Because an attorney-client relationship is not formed, there is no conflict in providing the limited services authorized under this rule to both parties.
Subdivision (h). It is intended that self-represented litigants who receive services from a self-help program understand that they are not receiving legal services. One purpose of the disclosure is to prevent an attorney-client relationship from being formed. In addition to the signed disclosure, it is recommended that each program post the disclosure in a prominent place in the self-help program. The written disclosure should be available and posted in the languages that are in prevalent use in the county.
Subdivision (i). This provision is to clarify that nonlawyer personnel are not required to use Florida Family Law Form 12.900 because the information is included in the disclosure required by this rule. Self-help personnel are required to include their name and identifying information on any form on which they record information for a self-represented litigant.

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