Justice for All
Improving Accessibility of Eviction Legal Forms
PROCESS HIGHLIGHTS
Project challenge and responsibilities overview
Challenge
Ensuring eviction legal forms are clear and accessible for tenants without legal expertise.
Opportunity
Simplifying complex legal documents to empower tenants and improve access to justice.
Timeline
5 Weeks
Disciplines
UX Research
Accessibility Design
Civic Tech
Responsibilities
Usability Testing
Affinity Mapping
Collaboration
Tools
Excel
Figma
Google Slides
BACKGROUND
Understanding the organization and their goals
SCAO is the administrative agency of the Michigan Supreme Court that provides oversight to Michigan courts. Their office maintains all of the forms and instructions for Michigan state courts (1,100+ forms).
The Process
1
Align
Client Kickoff
Defining goals
2
Develop
Protocol development
3
Test
User Testing
4
Analyze
Data Analysis
5
Report
Finding Presentation
ALIGN
Client Kickoff and Onboarding
Challenge
Eviction cases in Michigan disproportionately affect tenants without legal representation, with only 2% of tenants having access to legal counsel compared to 80% of landlords.
The challenge lies in ensuring that eviction court forms, which serve as a primary means of communication and rights assertion, are accessible, easy to understand, and usable by tenants who lack legal expertise.
Identifying areas where users encounter confusion or difficulty with the forms and addressing these pain points.
Confirms that users understand the purpose of each form, their rights, and the actions required to comply or respond appropriately.
Refined forms by providing actionable recommendations to improve clarity and usability.
Objectives
Goals
DC508
Order to Dismiss Eviction(Agreement)
- Ensure the user understands that the case is dismissed unless they fail to follow the agreement made with the landlord.
- Ensure the user understands what they need to do (e.g., payment) to comply with the agreement, verify that the terms match the agreement, and sign if they agree.
- Ensure the user understands the consequences of not following the agreement.
DC509
Request an Order about Eviction
Ensure the user understands that the landlord is asking for a judgment and eviction order because they believe the tenant didn’t follow the agreement.
Ensure the user understands, based on how the Order is filled out, the type of judgment entered and whether the judge has issued the eviction order.
DC107
Request for Eviction Order
Ensure the render understands that they no longer have the right to stay at the porperty.
Ensure the renter understands that their belongings will be moved if they do not vacate the property.
DC105
Judgment
Ensure the user understands why a judgment was entered (e.g., default, trial, or by agreement).
Ensure the user understand whether they can stay in their home, what actions they need to take to stay, and the deadlines for those actions.
DEVELOP
Protocol Development
Methodology
Recruitment Process
In-person testing was conducted at the Ann Arbor District Library (downtown branch), providing a neutral and accessible setting for participants.
Participants Critira
Select individuals without formal legal trainings
Compensation
Participants were compensated with 25 dollars Target gift card
No. of Participants
12 participants, and 9 out of 12 had previous experience with eviction or foreclosure
Duration
Each session lasted 20-30 minutes, allowing sufficient time for participants to engage with the forms and provide meaningful responses.
Tools
participants were presented with 4 single-sided documents.
Task Developing
Review and Interpret court form
Highlight Key Information
Scenario-Based Decision Making
Feedback on Specific Phrasing
“Why do you think you got this form ?”
“I got this form because I failed to pay the rent ”
“Was there anything that you felt was confusing or unclear?”
“Court Finds and court orders, - had to keep reference. ”
ANALYZE
Affinity Mapping
Our group utilized affinity mapping to systematically code and analyze the interview data. By organizing participant feedback into clusters of related themes, we identified patterns and key insights that emerged from the tasks.
ANALYZE
Data Collection and Observation
To enhance our analysis, we complemented affinity mapping with Excel to systematically organize and quantify findings. Using Excel, we tracked participants' responses across various themes, such as clarity of legal terminology, understanding of charges, and interpretation of appeal processes.
REPORT
Key Findings and Recommendations
Recommendations:
Provide specific information and direct language about next steps of Judgment non-compliance.
01
Users were frustrated that consequences of Order noncompliance were unclear.
Users were unable to identify eviction and appeal dates and processes.
02
Recommendations:
Recommendations:
Create a payment breakdown chart that remains visually consistent on each form.
Require landlords to provide a ledger or further information about rent and late fees charges.
03
Users wanted clarity on charges and costs.
Users were confused by legal terminology and phrases.
04
Recommendations:
Add a “How can I get legal or financial help?” section on the first page of every landlord-tenant document where tenants can search for local legal assistance and financial help.
05
Users were unsure where to seek help.
REFLECTION
Next Step
This usability testing experience was unique because, unlike traditional testing of websites or digital platforms, we focused on evaluating actual paper forms. It highlighted the challenges of ensuring clarity and usability in non-digital mediums. Another key takeaway is that, despite being a short five-week activity, our recommendations provided meaningful insights to the legal courts, emphasizing the value of user feedback in improving real-world processes and resources.
IF I had more time, I would definitely…
Explore visual redesigns of the forms, focusing on improving clarity, accessibility, and ease of use.
Develop detailed prototypes of the revised forms to test their effectiveness before implementation.
Analyze long-term impacts of the proposed changes to ensure sustained improvement in user comprehension and experience.
