“…(T)he most helpful people were the counter clerks – they were my angels.” – SRL from Prince George, British Columbia (National Self-Represented Litigants Study, 2013)
With the help of their manager Rayna Kelner, we have tracked down the “angels” to whom this SRL was referring: the registry counter staff in the courthouse in Prince George, BC. They are Trudy, Sandy, Heather, Glenda, Maddison, Devyn, Margherita & Sandra.
Prince George does not have a staffed resource center for assisting SRLs, but has developed some special information sharing tools and techniques to assist the public. One of the tools is their Self-Help Center which includes blank forms for Provincial Family & Small Claims. There are pamphlets and guides for important programs and resources for SRLs, such as Legal Aid and Family Justice Centers. The PG staff have also produced a document with links to various websites that can assist SLR’s with next steps, as well as agencies they can contact for further assistance. They also post website information for Supreme Court documents.
But the best resource for SRLs are the team members themselves.
When dealing with people at the counter, Rayna Kelner, Manager of Court Registry Operations, says “These ladies take the approach of putting themselves in the other person’s shoes. They realize that these folks are here because they don’t know where else to go. One staff member told me “If I can make the process easier and increase the understanding of at least one person each day, it makes my work that much more rewarding””.
These ladies work hard each and every day to ensure that they are meeting the needs of the clients they serve – and with a compassionate touch. We are delighted to welcome them to the NSRLP’s Access to Justice All-Star team.