Sketches for Self-Help worksheets

I have been sketching out some possible templates for what a good one-pager worksheet would be, to guide a lay person through a legal process. Obviously the one-pager has enormous limits, so instead of thinking about it as a total ‘process guide’, I’m thinking of it more as an ‘orientation tool’ that gives the person their bearings in a legal area, with some key terminology, major red flags and warnings, and an overview of what to be doing.

As for composition, my thoughts have been to prioritize white space (not try to cram information on), use icons & faces as accents & markers on the page, and show priority through font size & spaces.

The header is also key — I’m thinking that along with the title of the procedure, the header can also give a ranking about how difficult the procedure will be. This could be a way to encourage the user not to do too much on their own, and seek out expert help while going through it.

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1 Comment

Interesting idea. I’m a quilter, and quilt patterns are often marked with the level of difficulty. The difference is – because I’ve been doing this awhile, I know what level I’m at. SRL’s usually only engage with the court once or twice. They have nothing to gauge it by.

Also, as a quilter, I can decide to choose an easier pattern, if I’m not up for the challenge. When you go to court, you have no choice. It’s not like they can say, “I don’t want to do this Level 4 divorce package, can you give me a level 1?” (I realize they do have a “choice” of hiring a lawyer, but most SRL’s do not consider that a realistic choice, as they can’t afford counsel.).