About The Basics Series

Background and sources
Published in 2002 by inMotion and the Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project, The Basics Series was produced to address the severe lack of free legal assistance for poor women in the areas of family and matrimonial law in New York City.

Hundreds of thousands of individuals are involved in Family Court proceedings in New York City each year, yet fewer than 100 staff attorneys are dedicated to family and matrimonial law issues at free legal services agencies in our City. As a result, the vast majority of people who go to Family Court are forced to proceed without counsel, and with little information regarding the substantive or procedural aspects of their cases.

Written in plain-language, The Basics Series was designed for use by individuals who must represent themselves in cases involving family and matrimonial law and related issues.

The booklets have been translated into many of the languages spoken in New York City.

The Basics Series was made possible by a generous grant from The New York State Interest on Lawyer Account Fund (IOLA).

Sources consulted
InMotion and the Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project thank the following agencies and organizations for generously contributing both written materials and advice to assist in the preparation of the booklets in The Basics Series.

City, State and National Government Agencies
Administration for Children's Services, Parents' & Children's Rights Unit and Division of Legal Services
C-PLAN: Child Planning and Advocacy Now, Public Advocate's Office
New York City Department of Health
New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence
New York State Department of Social Services
New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence
New York State Office of Court Administration
Social Security Administration
State of New York Unified Court System
U.S. Department of Justice, Immigration and Naturalization Service
U.S. Department of Justice, Violence Against Women Office
U.S. Department of State, Office of Children’s Issues

Organizations
Association of the Bar of the City of New York
Bronx AIDS Services Inc.
Bronx Legal Services
The Door
The Family Center
Family Violence Prevention Fund
Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund
Law Tek Media Group, LLC
The Legal Aid Society, New York City, Juvenile Rights and Civil Divisions
Legal Information for Families Today (LIFT)
MFY Legal Services, Inc.
New York Association for New Americans, Inc. (NYANA)
New York County Lawyers Association
New York Legal Assistance Group
New York State Bar Association
Pace University School of Law
Safe Horizon Domestic Violence Law Project
Sanctuary for Families Center for Battered Women’s Legal Services
South Brooklyn Legal Services
Urban Justice Center
Women’s Prison Association

© CROSS-BOROUGH COLLABORATION / 2002

Back to top