Rule 110.04 - Role of Self-Help Personnel(a) Required Acts. Self-Help Personnel shall(1) Educate Self-Represented Litigants about available pro bono legal services, low cost legal services, legal aid programs, lawyer referral services and legal resources provided by state and local law libraries;(2) Encourage Self-Represented Litigants to obtain legal advice;(3) Provide information about mediation services;(4) Provide services on the assumption that the information provided by the litigant is true; and(5) Provide the same services and information to all parties to an action, if requested.(b) Permitted, but Not Required, Acts. Self-Help Personnel may, but are not required to: (1) provide forms and instructions;(2) assist in the completion of forms;(3) provide information about court process, practice and procedure;(4) offer educational sessions and materials on all case types, such as sessions and materials on marriage dissolution;(5) answer general questions about family law and other issues and how to proceed with such matters;(6) explain options within and outside of the court system;(7) assist in calculating guidelines child support based on information provided by the Self-Represented Litigant;(8) assist with preparation of court orders under the direction of the court; and(9) provide other services consistent with the intent of this rule and the direction of the court, including programs in partnership with other agencies and organizations.(c) Prohibited Acts. Self-Help Personnel may not:(1) represent litigants in court;(2) perform legal research for litigants;(3) deny a litigant's access to the court;(4) lead litigants to believe that they are representing them as lawyers in any capacity or induce the public to rely on them for personal legal advice;(5) recommend one option over another option;(6) offer legal strategy or personalized legal advice;(7) tell a litigant anything she or he would not repeat in the presence of the opposing party;(8) investigate facts pertaining to a litigants case, except to help the litigant obtain public records; or(9) disclose information in violation of statute, rule, or case law.Minn. Gen. R. Prac. 110.04
Added effective 1/1/2004.