In January 2010, the Lake County Bar Association’s Guardianship Help Desk was established to assist self represented petitioners seeking guardianship of the person of a minor child. The process to obtain guardianship of a minor child is not simple; it requires at least one or two court appearances, the production of a number of required documents, and the completion of a series of forms. Seeing a need for assistance, the LCBA, combined with efforts of the Lake County Bar Foundation and members of the judiciary, worked together to develop the Guardianship Help Desk which has operated in conjunction with the Probate Court since that time.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Help Desk has recently transitioned to an online format during which a volunteer attorney is available to assist self represented petitioners using video conferencing technology. Remote procedures for the Help Desk are in their early stages and are being reviewed on an ongoing basis.

The Help Desk is staffed entirely by volunteer attorneys and the new remote format makes volunteering easy and convenient. Attorneys interested in participating as a Help Desk volunteer are encouraged to register online by clicking HERE  or contact the self-represented litigant coordinator at SRL@lakecountyil.gov.

Self represented litigants seeking assistance from the Help Desk should contact the Probate Division of the Clerk of the Court or the self-represented litigant coordinator at SRL@lakecountyil.gov.

Resources:  Guardianship of Minors Guide

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