Wayne County Circuit Court releases instructional video on filing for divorce

The Michigan Supreme Court Administrative Office announced the establishment of a Court Performance Innovation Fund in July of 2013. The fund, created by the Michigan Legislature and advocated by Chief Justice Robert A. Young, was established to provide trial courts the necessary seed money to enhance technology to serve the public more efficiently. As a Wayne County Circuit Court Domestic judge, Susan L. Hubbard saw the need to better inform the county's large pro se (self-represented) litigants by creating an instructional video on how to file for divorce. Through the efforts of her law clerk, Frances Yturri and later Amy Rhoades, Court Administrator Zenell Brown and the Michigan Supreme Court Administrative Office staff, Judge Hubbard's proposed video project was approved. "Self-represented litigants will now have another tool to help them navigate through the difficult process of filing for divorce by clicking on the instructional video on how to file for divorce," said Hubbard. "I would like to thank Justice Young for advocating for the creation of this innovative program to better serve the public and Wayne County Presiding Family Judge Kathleen McCarthy and Chief Judge Robert Colombo for their support of the video." Judge McCarthy added, "As the court serves an increasingly high number of pro se litigants in the family division (upwards of 68 percent of all divorce cases in Michigan have at least one unrepresented party), the informational divorce videos now available to the public will be instrumental in assisting parties who cannot afford an attorney by providing the tools necessary to navigate the complex processes that the court is required to oversee. The court is committed to improving policies and educational materials so that all of Wayne County's residents have fair and complete access to the judicial system." The videos may be accessed directly by logging onto the Court's website 3rdcc.org. In the future, the video may be available through the Michigan Legal Help and Michigan Judicial Institute website. Published: Mon, Feb 22, 2016