LiveHelp Helping People Find Information Online

1. LiveHelpHelping People Find Information Online Kate Bladow, Montana Legal Services Association Richard Zorza, Zorza Associates

2. LiveHelp Overview • Provides virtual, live assistance for Web site visitors • Helps visitors find information • Doesn’t provide legal advice

3. Demonstration

14. Late 2004 – MLSA, ILA and PBN receive TIG January 2005 – Planning begins Summer 2005 – ILA and MLSA soft-launch LiveHelp on Web sites; initial evaluation begins June 2006 – ILA and MLSA fully launch LiveHelp Late 2006 – MLSA, ILA, GSLP, and PBN receive expansion TIG Project History

15. Logistics • Use LivePerson – an ASP; have a month to month arrangement • Pay per seat - $200 per seat per month • Staffed by VISTA volunteers, paralegals, interns, attorneys, and other willing staff members

16. 2006 Usage • Montana – 344 “Acts of Help” MontanaLawHelp.org had 38,176 visits and 182,604 page views. • Iowa – 247 “Acts of Help” IowaLegalAid.org had 29,450 visits and 111,806 page views.

17. Interim Evaluation Results

18. To what extent are low-income Web site visitors opting to use LiveHelp? • Low-income Web site visitors are using LiveHelp; the income distribution of LiveHelp and Web site users are approximately the same. • There are no major differences in the educational profiles of Web site and LiveHelp users. • While the users of both the site and chat are low income, neither group has heavy prior legal aid exposure, either by being a client or using the Web site. • Those who use the LiveHelp chat and those who use only the Web site have the same general profiles with respect to the kind of help they are seeking, both in terms of the service sought and the substantive area of legal need. • This early in the marketing and outreach process, only a small portion of Web site users are making use of the LiveHelp service.

19. How well are Web site visitors able to find the legal information that they are looking for with LiveHelp? Without LiveHelp? • It appears that LiveHelp dramatically increases the extent to which users feel that they know what they need to know to protect their legal rights.

20. To what extent does LiveHelp increase a Web site visitor’s understanding of his or her legal problem and what needs to be done in order to solve it? • The LiveHelp service significantly increases the visitor’s understanding of the legal problem and what needs to be done to solve it. • However, the use of LiveHelp has not been shown to increase the user’s confidence in their ability to protect their rights.

21. To what extent does LiveHelp navigation assistance effectively inform clients about their legal rights? • There is reason to believe that clients are being effectively informed about their legal rights.

22. To what extent are Web site visitors satisfied with the LiveHelp that they receive? • Those users who use LiveHelp services have a relatively high satisfaction with the overall Web site experience.

23. To what extent are volunteers who provide LiveHelp satisfied with their experience? • While we are not yet in a position to assess the volunteering experience of providing LiveHelp services in a legal aid environment, we do know that the experience of providing the services is generally rewarding.

24. To what extent can other organizations readily adapt the LiveHelp model? • There is every reason to believe that the LiveHelp feature can easily be integrated into other environments, such as other legal aid programs and governmental and social service organizations.

25. To what extent does LiveHelp improve Web site visitor satisfaction? • It appears, subject to methodological issues, that LiveHelp use produces higher service satisfaction levels than regular Web site usage.

26. My Experience with LiveHelp • Instant messaging function on the MontanaLawHelp.org Web site • As a navigator, I help guide visitors through the MontanaLawHelp Web site and direct them to other external sources of information • Providing legal information and references to visitors of the Web site

27. My Impression of LiveHelp Users • Most LiveHelp users possess basic computer knowledge (i.e., accessing web pages, instant messaging, etc…) • Most LiveHelp users have legal issues that can be addressed using legal services resources: consumer, landlord/tenant, family law, etc… • Most LiveHelp users are not already legal services clients.

28. Chat Transcript I INFO: You are now chatting with ‘Navigator' NAVIGATOR: Hello. I can help you find information about the law and legal rights. I can't give you any legal advice or tell you what to do. Do not tell me anything confidential. You and I don't have an attorney-client relationship. The other side in your case may contact LiveHelp for more information. In that case, we will also give him or her information. Is this okay? VISITOR: yes NAVIGATOR: What can I help you with today? VISITOR: i am looking for the application form on the Web site so I can print it NAVIGATOR: One moment, please. I can get the form for you. You also have the option of applying to Montana Legal Services by telephone. Here's the number: 1-800-666-6124 Application Link The above link will take you to the application. Can I help you with anything else? VISITOR: no thanks

29. Taking Chats – The Down Side • Inconsistent: MontanaLawHelp.org averages about 1 LiveHelp chat per hour. • Unpredictable: Users ask unpredictable questions and expect immediate answers. • Frustrating: There is a temptation to give legal advice or delve deeper into the facts to identify the legal issue.

30. Chat Transcript II INFO: You are now chatting with ‘Navigator‘ VISITOR: Hello NAVIGATOR: Hello. I can help you find information about the law and legal rights. I can't give you any legal advice or tell you what to do. Do not tell me anything confidential. You and I don't have an attorney-client relationship. The other side in your case may contact LiveHelp for more information. In that case, we will also give him or her information. Is this okay? VISITOR: I guess...I need information though. do you do that? NAVIGATOR: I can certainly try. What can I help you with? VISITOR: on the 6th of Dec of 06 I was given notice to move from a trailer space I am renting. move out date? 1/1/07 water to be turned off 1/5/07...they claimed the County Sanitarian was closing down the trailer park… this is a “lie” according to the Sanitarian VISITOR: I cannot find legal assistance as I am not rich. I need help. where do I go? NAVIGATOR: Are you in Montana? VISITOR: yes.

31. NAVIGATOR: First of all, here is a link to some useful information on evictions: evictions link. VISITOR: thanks. how do I file an injunction? what is the form number/name? NAVIGATOR: I am unable to find the kind of form you are looking for. You might want to try contacting Montana Legal Services. If you are eligible for their services, they can give you legal advice and possibly find you a free attorney. Their telephone number is 1-800-666-6124 VISITOR: ok, wrote it down. I am sure I qualify. is there something else? NAVIGATOR: Calling legal services would probably be the most helpful. Be sure to let them know that you are up against a deadline and they will help you address the problem immediately VISITOR: great. Thank you very much. You have a good new year. NAVIGATOR: Can I help you with anything else? VISITOR: No, thank you though

32. Taking Chats – The Up Side • Rewarding: The experience of empowering a Web site visitor with legal information is satisfying in itself. • Multitasking: With an average of one chat per hour, navigators have spare time to answer emails, make telephone calls, etc… • Personal Knowledge: Navigators are required to possess an advanced knowledge of sources of legal information. This is also valuable to my practice of law.

33. Chat Transcript III INFO: You are now chatting with ‘NAVIGATOR’ NAVIGATOR: How may I help you? VISITOR: i want to know what is going to go on in court when i file for custody NAVIGATOR: One moment please. I am looking for an answer. Here is a link that gives an introduction to custody proceedings. Note that, in Montana, "custody" is referred to as "parenting." Intro to Parenting Just give me a few more minutes and let me see if I can find information on what will go on in the courtroom during a parenting proceeding. Here is a link to the Montana Courts, and their information on custody. In addition to the links on the page, there are also several books listed that deal with parenting issues. MT Courts VISITOR: thank you NAVIGATOR: Here is one more link that discusses parenting plans, as well as what the court is looking for in a parenting plan. Parenting PlanCan I help you with anything else? VISTOR: so far so good

34. Future Plans/Replication

35. Interim Analysis of Potential Broader Usage within Legal Aid • Advocate Support for Pro Bono Attorneys • Pro Bono Advice or Information to Web site Users • Cross State Assistance • Multi-Lingual Support • Document Assembly Support • Low-Literacy User Support • Service Finding and Online Application Assistance • Diagnostic Software Support • As Assistive Technology Considerations

36. Interim Analysis of Potential Broader Access to Justice Usage • Court-Based Information Services • Self Help Centers • Bar Association Attorney Referrals • E-filing Support • Court-Based Document Assembly • Litigant Online Calendar and Docket Checking • Hearing Preparation Assistance • Public Legal Information Consortium • Binding Together the Full Range of Access To Justice Web sites with Single Integrated Support Service

37. Interim Analysis of Potential Usage Going Beyond Access to Justice • Benefits Application with Agency • Actual Service Delivery • Social Service and Community Service Agencies

38. Analysis of National Legal Aid Replication • Leveraged sharing of custom development • Integrated fundraising for support systems • Potential integration with Web site and document assembly innovation • National publicity • Outreach to potential national partners, including particularly court partners • Market power in negotiating ASP pricing • Potential for gathering rich user and evaluation data about users of online access to justice technologies, guiding future investments in content and tools • Integration of systems that typically are independent in each state

39. Ideas?

40. The Georgia Plan for LiveHelp • Add to www.GeorgiaAdvocates.org to support lawyers using the site • Train 3 Pro Bono Guides (Operators) • GLSP Pro Bono Coordinators • Guides will • Provide messaging • Assist site users in finding resources • Suggest potential opportunities • Direct volunteers to programs/offices

41. LiveHelp: ONSTAR for Pro Bono • LiveHelp: • Customer Service • Opportunity to Interact • Opportunity to Receive Feedback • Opportunity for Us to Learn More about What We Do and Why We Do It in the Ways We Do It

42. Questions?

43. Contact Information • Richard Zorza – richard@zorza.net • Mike Monahan – mike@gabar.org • Tim Little – tlittle@mtlsa.org • Kate Bladow – kbladow@mtlsa.org