Going to court over child support issues can be grueling. People already are battling feelings of anger, desperation, betrayal and loss when they walk through the courtroom doors. Add to that the confusion of the court system, lawyers and potential language barriers. It makes for a long, tough process in the halls of justice.
To make the court process as pleasant as possible for these families, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is streamlining the system. He has promised to make families in need of his office's assistance a top priority.
"Court action is a critical step in getting child support to families," Abbott said. "The ability to access case information from the courthouse saves time for parents, and helps us resolve their cases more quickly."
As one of the first steps toward that goal, the CSD kicked off a wireless initiative to provide real-time, current child support case information to court staff and attorneys in courthouses across the state, helping staff to better serve clients.
A business unit within the CSD initiated the project in March 2002, recommending Wi-Fi for staff at remote courthouses to access a network connected to the CSD's central database. The agency opted for the wireless approach after internal research showed many child support hearings were delayed due to lack of information or updated materials. Court staff repeatedly had to call their offices for answers or to order faxed screen prints of documents within a case file.
Rescheduling hearings to obtain updated information often forces parents to take more time off work. The constant rescheduling also can trigger another challenge for the CSD. Since courtroom space is limited, dockets can overflow with scores of cases each day.
Real-time access to case files makes it simpler and faster for court staff to get current parent information, reduces the probability for case delays, and in turn, reduces court-processing time and improves customer service.
In addition, wireless access to the case files lets caseworkers readily modify court orders based on judicial action. If a judge modifies an order, it is quickly updated to reflect the decision and immediately circulated for signature. This was previously a manual process that cost the courts and families several days or weeks in processing time. Often a custodial parent gives the court new location information for the other parent. Court staff can now update the file with the new information and then reprint documents to be served to the parent at the corrected address.
The actual child support case files are housed in a database located in the state CSD office in Austin. Wireless technology allows authorized individuals at county courthouses throughout the state to log on to the court's wired network to access, view, modify, download and print case files and other documents. Court staff and attorneys can log in to case files from laptops in courtrooms or while working with families in the courthouse lobby.
Assistant Attorney General Stephen Miller of McLennan County said he never goes to court without his laptop. "There are always people who show up for court at the wrong time or on the wrong day," Miller said. "Now, I can immediately research their case and provide accurate information about the next court setting."
Initiating the Project
The pilot project determined the viability of Wi-Fi service for streamlining and improving communications for more than 2,100 employees in 254 county court systems throughout Texas.
The Attorney General's Office is stressing the need to keep the project cost-efficient, targeting locations based on higher-volume caseloads, such as courthouses in metropolitan cities.
The initial cost for the project was $15,000, which covered central server hardware and software components.
Local wireless equipment also had to be installed at each courthouse. That cost $7,100 per site. As of August 2005, 23 locations were installed, bringing the project's total equipment cost to $178,000.
The CSD footed the bill for the entire project.
Transforming Business
Assistant Attorney General Lynda Boyett of Nueces County is a prime example of how the new system improves customer service.
"With Web access from court, I can provide current information to clients without calling the office," Boyett said, recalling when she appeared in court in August on a particular case.
A lawyer in another case recognized her as an assistant attorney general and asked for help on a second case scheduled on the docket ? a case the Attorney General's Office wasn't aware was scheduled for that day.
Before Wi-Fi access, the case would have been rescheduled so an assistant attorney general could be present. The parents would be required to miss additional time from their jobs and could incur fees from their own attorneys for making a second court appearance. More importantly, if the amount of child support were modified, those critical changes wouldn't take effect until after the new court date.
Because Boyett could access the case file from her laptop, she handled the case that day and avoided rescheduling the hearing.
Miller also raved about the improved communication and ability to provide better customer service to his clients.
"It's not unusual to learn in court that the parties have had another child," Miller said. "It only takes a few minutes to add the new child's name to the legal documents and handle all the issues that day. Before it would have been necessary to reset the case and require the parents to attend another court hearing."
The Wi-Fi project has been very successful, said Janece Keetch, public information officer of the Attorney General's Office. Abbott is even considering expanding the Wi-Fi to more counties during the upcoming year.
