The Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County is opening another Legal Resource Center in the City of Lompoc, the third branch of the organization’s self-help centers.
The foundation, which held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a grand opening celebration yesterday, September 9, on the Lompoc Courthouse patio, is a nonprofit organization that opened its first two Legal Resource Centers (LRCs) in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria in 2003.
The centers, located in the courthouse libraries, are joint projects with the Superior Court. They help self-represented litigants prepare for court, understand their rights, complete the proper court paperwork, and use the legal resources available to them for civil matters such as restraining orders, guardianship agreements, and landlord/tenant disputes. Advice for persons charged with infractions, and referrals to private attorneys, are also provided at the LRCs.
Like the centers in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria, the Lompoc LRC will be staffed by a licensed attorney, and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. A $10 processing fee is charged per visit, waived upon request.