There are dozens of languages spoken in the United States. Many courts have interpreters available for hearings and trials, but courts do not necessarily provide information in all of the principal languages spoken in their communities. Advances in translation software and telephone systems that provide simultaneous translation will allow courts to provide information to the public in languages other than English. Literacy barriers . Even when forms and instructions are in litigants' native languages, litigants still may have difficulty completing them.
Many courts now have programs in which court staff help pro se litigants complete forms.
A pilot program run by the Fund for the City of New York uses Internet-based terminals that provide audio and video help to the user. The forms are set up to be filled out on a touch screen, so the litigant does not have to be familiar with a keyboard. Many pro se litigants will still require personal assistance, but the use of technology will allow staff resources to be used for those who need them most. Financial barriers to legal representation . Many pro se litigants are low-income people who have been unable to obtain legal representation from legal services programs or pro bono attorneys.