Mallory was recently chosen to serve over the last few months with the The Mecklenburg County Family Court Task Force, as well as the Justice Access Initiatives task force, specifically regarding family court practice. She was asked to work with other attorneys, judges and clerks to help this group adapt to a new normal in the midst of COVID-19. The overall goals on the Family Court Task Force were to expand court proceedings as smoothly and efficiently as possible and the focus on the Justice Access Initiatives task force is to evaluate what new processes can be recommended to ensure access to all as things move forward.
COVID has really caused a lot of industries to think outside the box. “When the courts had to close, we knew something had to be done not only to help our colleagues continue but also to ensure that families and unrepresented litigants get the help and access to the courts that they need”, says Willink. “We were organized into workgroups to address specific issues at a rapid pace to ensure the court was able to expand operations”.
This pandemic has caused so much stress to the general population. However, the good news is that we are moving forward, although differently. The legal system in both North and South Carolina is using the latest technologies to conduct family court matters when being in-person is not an option. In essence, the pandemic has forced the industry to embrace more efficient ways of handling legal matters which shows a positive trend for the future.
“We are handling more cases with virtual technology and procedural changes with affidavits to reduce the number of court appearances and save not only money and time but a lot of the stress we see in these legal matters”, says Willink.
Watch Mallory’s segment on Charlotte Today below: