What to expect on your first CLARO visit.

1. Your First
CLARO Meeting
How to prepare for your first meeting with a
CLARO administrator

2. Call for an appointment:
Scheduling an
appointment
(716)828-8432
Appointments are
scheduled during open
CLARO sessions:
Call the CLARO hotline and
leave a message including:
Tuesdays 5:00PM – 7:00PM
Fridays: 10:00AM – 12:00PM
 Your name
 Your phone number
 A brief description of your
situation
Please speak slowly and
clearly

3. Please bring ALL papers
related to the issue you are
having. These may include:
What to
bring with
you:
 Judgments
 Letters from Creditors
 Certified Mail Receipts
 Copies of Letters Sent by
You
 Bills
 Credit Reports
If there is a
default judgment
against you,
please bring a
complete copy of
your court file.

4. These documents do not
look as official as you
might imagine…
What
Papers?
 The creditor or a debt
collector may have
filed a collection
lawsuit against you.
 You should bring the
Summons and
Complaint.
Sample document can be found here.

5. Keep in
Mind:
1. You are required to file an
Answer to a Complaint in
writing.
2. You may also have more
time to file the Answer than
the Summons and
Complaint states.
Can a
phone call
fix this?
NO.
Calling the number on the
Summons and Complaint is
not sufficient action.
CLARO assistance takes
place during scheduled
sessions which you must
attend.

6. During the CLARO
sessions attorneys meet
with visitors and explain:
 the context of debt collection action,
 the implications of such actions on
your credit,
 the ramifications of a judgment.
What
Happens?
You will first meet
with a WNYLC
paralegal who will
be administering
the session.
Once your intake
is complete, you
will meet with an
attorney.

7. You’ve
been
served:
It is common to receive a
Summons and Complaint in the
mail, on your doorstep, or have it
handed to you.
Bring a copy
of the
complaint
with you to
your CLARO
meeting.

8. If the document
says:
State of New York Supreme Court:
County of Erie
You Don’t
Have the
Papers?
You can get copies of
your file from The
Court:
your file is located in New York State
Supreme Court.
 Your file may be found in
either City or State Court,
the Courts are in different
locations.
Civil Court of the City of Buffalo:
County of Erie
 You will be charged for
the copy.
your file is in Buffalo City Court.
 Copy charges are
determined by the
number of pages.
 A minimum charge may
apply.

9. Erie County Court
Building
State
Court
You are looking for the
Actions and
Proceedings
department
at the Erie
County Clerk’s Office.
It is located at
92 Franklin St, in
downtown Buffalo.
Filings may be
available on-line:
http://www2.erie.gov/clerk/ind
ex.php?q=court-recordsfiling

10. Buffalo City Court
Building
City
Court
Buffalo City Court
50 Delaware Ave
Buffalo, NY 14202
Copies are issued in the Civil
Judgments Room on the first floor.
Electronic copies are currently not
available.

11. Quick
Reference
Note: these prices may change at any time
Where to Go,
What to Do

12. Upon your arrival at
the CLARO site, you
will be greeted by our
administrator or a law
student who will
provide you with
paperwork informing
you about the nature of
the free, limited-scope
legal advice CLARO
offers, and collect
information about you
and your issue for
statistical purposes.
Questions might include the nature of the debt and
information about your income, expenses, living
situation, other debts, and credit history.
Your CLARO
Appointment
 Arrive a few minutes early.
 If you are more than 15
minutes late, your
appointment will be
rescheduled.
 Bring your paperwork/files.
 Be prepared to take notes.

13. Meeting
with an
Attorney
Once you have completed the intake process, you
will be seen by a volunteer attorney, who will be
able to give you advice. Depending on the amount
of volunteer attorneys available and the amount of
other visitors, you may have to wait briefly until an
attorney becomes available. The attorney you
speak with will review the intake paperwork and any
documents you have brought, and provide you with
free, limited-scope legal advice to help you best
represent yourself in your case. CLARO advice is
limited-in-scope insofar as CLARO attorneys are
not representing you in your case; instead, they are
available to better prepare you to advocate for
yourself by informing you about the law and your
options.
 A CLARO session can take
between 30 minutes and two
hours.
 The length of the meeting
depends on the nature of your
legal issue.

14. Due to time and resource
constraints, we can only assist
each visitor with one legal issue
per visit.
However, if you have multiple
legal issues, you may schedule
as many CLARO appointments
as you need.
Time
Restrictions

15. Remember to Follow These Steps:
1. Assemble ALL papers related to the issue you are having.
2. If you don’t have copies of your Summons and Complaint or the Judgment filed
against you, obtain copies:
State of New York Supreme Court: County of Erie your file is located in New York
State Supreme Court.
Civil Court of the City of Buffalo: County of Erie your file is in Buffalo City Court.
3. Contact CLARO and make an appointment – call the Hotline, (716)828-8432.
4. Arrive 5 minutes before your meeting is scheduled to begin.
5. Be prepared to discuss the specific issue you set up the appointment to address.
6. Expect to take notes as you will be required to carry out further tasks on your own.
7. If you will be unable to attend the meeting as scheduled, call in advance to cancel
and set up another appointment.

16. Where to Go For Your CLARO Meeting
If your meeting is on Tuesday:
Note: enter on Halbert St, at the back of the
building. BFNC is on the second floor.
If your meeting is on Friday:

17. Which Court to Go To:
There is an action against you in State
Court:
92 Franklin Street
Buffalo, NY 14202
There is an action against you in City
Court:
50 Delaware Ave,
Buffalo, NY 14202

18. Directions to Erie County Court:
Erie County Court
92 Franklin Street
Buffalo, NY 14202
 Route 190 North to Exit 7 - Church Street. Left on Franklin
Street.
 Route 190 South, Exit 8 - Niagara Street. Right on Niagara
Street to Niagara Square. Continue around Niagara Square to
third street (Niagara Street) - right onto Franklin Street.
 NY-33 West to Goodell Street. Cross Main Street - Goodell
becomes Edward. Continue on Edward to Delaware Avenue.
Make a left on Delaware Avenue to Niagara Square - around the
circle to fourth street (Niagara Street) - right onto Franklin Street.

19. Directions to Buffalo City Court:
Buffalo City Court
50 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14202
 Route 190 North to Exit 7 - Church Street. Left on Delaware
Avenue.
 Route 190 South, Exit 8 - Niagara Street. Right on Niagara Street
to Niagara Square. Continue around Niagara Square to second
street - Delaware Avenue.
 NY-33 West to Goodell Street. Cross Main Street - Goodell
becomes Edward. Continue on Edward to Delaware Avenue.
Make a left on Delaware Avenue to Niagara Square - around the
circle to third street - Delaware Avenue.

20. Bad Weather? Cancellations?
From time to time, CLARO sessions are
cancelled. This may be due to bad
weather, holidays or other unforeseen
events. You can check for scheduling
issues on the CLARO website, under the
“News” menu.
The link is here:
http://clarobuffalo.org/?page_id=234

22. Further Questions or
Concerns?
Call the CLARO Hotline: (716)828-8432
Thank You!
This concludes the slideshow Your First CLARO Meeting.
Visit CLARO online at http://clarobuffalo.org/