MAHONING COUNTY Domestic Relations Court goes online

Users can find out about court operations and download all court forms.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County Domestic Relations Court has launched the county's first court Web site. Internet surfers can click on www.mahoningdrcourt.org to check on nearly all aspects of the court's operation, said Chief Magistrate Mark Huberman.
"There's not much about the court that's not on here," Huberman said. "There's an incredible amount of information."
Huberman said it's the only court Web site in the county and one of only about six domestic relations court sites in Ohio. Trumbull County's Family Court has a Web site.
Virtually everyone on the court's staff contributed to its design, and Huberman oversaw its development.
Ideas: He looked at other court sites from across the state to come up with ideas for the local court's site. The user-friendly and informational concept is modeled after the Trumbull County Probate Court site, which Huberman said is one of the best on the Web.
Domestic relations court sites from Butler and Summit counties were useful in determining what sort of court information should be posted, Huberman said.
The home page introduces domestic relations Judge Beth A. Smith and gives an overview of the court. There are links to help the user get information about court rules, the family se rvices division and domestic violence and supervised visitation options.
Users can also click on and download all of the forms used by the court, which saves them from having to travel to the court to get them.
"They can get pretty much anything they want or need, 24 hours a day," Huberman said.
Judge Smith said the idea was to build a site where both lawyers and the public can find virtually any information they need about the court and its operation.
Other features: As is the case with most Web sites, there is a link to answer frequently asked questions. There is also information about filing fees, lawyer referrals, parenting time issues and other topics.
Users can even click on links to get income tax rates for their hometown and values for their property and vehicles, which are useful in preparing divorce documents, Judge Smith said.
There is also a link to nearly 100 social service and other agencies that Huberman and Judge Smith said will be useful to anyone involved in divorce or post-divorce proceedings.
That list includes a toll-free telephone number that can be used to track child support payments.
The site design cost $2,700, which was paid with a special fund that gets its revenue from court fees, Judge Smith said.
bjackson@vindy.com