Help Centers are provided by the Hamilton County Court system to provide legal assistance representing yourself in Municipal Court or Juvenile Court. The Help Centers are staffed with three full-time attorneys and two paralegals, and are supported by volunteer law students and volunteer attorneys in the community.

These services are offered to people without lawyers representing them, who need assistance with a case in the Hamilton County Municipal Civil Court or Hamilton County Juvenile Court. Examples of the type of consultations include: Small Claims (that is, claims under $6000); Landlord Tenant Issues; Evictions; and Debt collection cases. They can also help with Custody Issues such as: Shared parenting (which is custody between both parents); Shared Custody (which is custody between a parent and non-parent); Parenting Time (which is the amount of time a parent may visit with a child); and Companionship Time (which is the amount of time a non-parent can visit with a child).

There are two divisions of the Help Center, the Municipal Division and the Juvenile Division. The Municipal Division is in room 113 of Hamilton County Courthouse, located at 1000 Main Street. The hours of operation are Monday through Thursday, 8 AM to 4 PM, and Friday 8 AM to 3 PM. The phone number is 513-946-5650. The Juvenile Division is on the first floor of the Hamilton County Juvenile Court, located at 800 Broadway Street. The hours of operation are Friday, 8 AM to 4 PM. The phone number is 513-946-9442. During the holidays, contact the Help Center of either division directly as hours of operation may vary.

Visiting the Help Center in person can help you understand legal information, the law, the court process and how to complete legal paperwork. You may also call the Help Center to schedule a free 40-minute limited legal advice consultation to discuss your issue with an attorney. The attorney can suggest ways to resolve your issues and help you prepare for court hearings. The attorney cannot represent you in court or provide ongoing services beyond the consultation. 

Appointments are subject to availability, and some issues may be too complex for the Help Center to assist. In such cases, they may provide information to help you find an attorney. The Help Center can not provide assistance with criminal cases, however. For assistance with criminal cases, contact the Hamilton County Public Defender’s Office, located on the first floor at 230 East 9th Street, or by phone at 946-3700.  

To help the Help Center help you, you should bring all relevant documents related to your case or legal issue, including court papers, documents (leases, contracts, receipts, etc.), and other evidence, including photos.

In addition to providing in-person assistance, the Help Centers also have a number of resource guides available online. For instance, they have an online portal to look up Hamilton County Court Cases, as well as as a Small Claims Court Guide (for disputes under $6000 in Hamilton County), and Debt Collection Lawsuit Guides (for people dealing with debt problems, such as debt collection lawsuits, wage or bank garnishment).

They also have online Resources for those being evicted, and Eviction Help Guides for Tenants to learn how eviction works, and how to resolve many problems without filing a lawsuit. Other online resources include a Rent Escrow Guide to help renters put rent into escrow if they feel the landlord failed to meet obligations; A guide on Landlord Tenant Basics to help understand the essential rules around landlords and tenants’ rights, obligations, and problems; and a page devoted to Other Housing Issues, with additional resources around homeownership, mortgages, financial assistance, or foreclosures.

You can find all these and more online resources, related to legal aid, by selecting the “Legal Aid” category tab on our Social Service “Utilization Library” page.