Legal Information
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Using Legal Resources at the Library
The Library offers an assortment of reference sources to help you with your legal information needs.
- Library staff CAN:
- - Direct you to legal forms and court publications.
- - Direct you to law books available at the Library including: codes, rules, statutes, opinions, and cases.
- - Provide telephone numbers for local lawyer referral services, legal services agencies, or volunteer attorney networks.
- Library staff CANNOT:
- - Select or fill out court forms for you.
- - Tell you what words to use in your court forms.
- - Provide legal advice or legal interpretations.
- - Advise you whether or not you should bring your case to court.
- - Advise you what to say in court.
If you need information on pro-bono legal services or assistance in choosing an attorney, contact the St. Joseph County Bar Association which is in the lower level of the old Court House (on Main St.).
General Law Resources
NEW!
Thomson Gale Legal Forms
The Thomson Gale Legal Form database provides a selection of printable forms covering a wide variety of the most popular legal areas. This includes real estate contracts, wills, pre-marital agreements, bankruptcy, divorce, landlord tenant and many others. Also included in this database is a directory of lawyers and a dictionary of legal terms. Scroll to the bottom of the page to access the database. Available from your home computer with a valid St. Joseph County Public Library Card.
Browsing our shelves (Dewey Decimal System call numbers): Law ~ 340-349.
- Black's Law Dictionary
- Legal form templates
- Legal Stuff (You Should Know) - from the Young Lawyers Section of the Indiana State Bar Association
- You, the Law and Alcohol
- Your Criminal Justice System
- Marriage and Divorce
- Renting Your Own Apartment
- Your Rights as a Consumer
- Employment Law
- Starting Your Own Business
- Small Claims Court
- What to do if You are in an Automobile Accident
- When You're Dead and Gone
- Who to Call for Help
- Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory - directory of lawyers
- Nolo Press legal forms & guides
Prisoner Resources
- ACLU on Prisons
- Behind Bars: Surviving Prison
- Constitutional Rights of Prisoners
- Innocence Project
- Outsiders Looking In: How to Keep from Going Crazy when Someone You Love Goes to Jail
Local Law Resources
- Municipal Code of the City of South Bend (Print)
- South Bend City Code (Online)
- St. Joseph County Judicial & Law Enforcement Offices
- St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office
Indiana Law Resources
- Indiana Administrative Code
- Indiana Civil Liberties Union
- Indiana Code
- Indiana Law Encyclopedia - explains Indiana Code
- Indiana Practice - explains Indiana Code
- Essential Forms, volume 5 (download .pdf file - Table of Contents)
- Indiana Rules of Court: State
- Indiana Sentencing Guidelines
- Indiana State Government Forms (download .pdf files)
- Small Claims Court Manual (download .pdf file)
- Trial Courts: Types of Cases
- West's Indiana Code Annotated - history of law & case law citations
- Holdings available at the Main Library only.
Divorce, Child Support, and Protection Orders
- The Reference Department at the Main Library has a book on filing your own divorce in Indiana, called The Do-it-Yourself Indiana Divorce Book.
- You can download and fill out forms at the links below:
- Indiana Divorce Forms
- Modification of Child Support
- Indiana Divorce Forms in Spanish
- Monroe County Public Library has the following forms on its website (download .pdf or Word files), which are often needed by those filing for divorce themselves:
- Form I: Decree of Marriage Dissolution - With Separation Agreement
- Form K: Separation Agreement
- Form L: Motion for Summary Dissolution Decree
- Forms for Legal Change of Name
- The Non-Military Affadavit can be found in the book Collecting Child Support Made E-Z on page 87.
- Indiana Child Support Rules & Guidelines
- Indiana Protection Order, No Contact Order, and Workplace Violence Restraining Order Forms
NOTE: Any questions about court procedures or requirements or using the forms should be directed to the St. Joseph County Clerk (101 S. Main Street, Basement, South Bend, Indiana 46601; Voice: (574) 235-9635; Fax: (574) 235-9838).
Other counties in Indiana may have different requirements. If you do not live in St. Joseph County, Indiana, you should contact the office of the County Clerk in your county.
SJCPL assumes no responsibilities and accepts no liability for actions taken by users of these documents, including reliance on their contents. For legal advice about your case, you should contact a lawyer.
Wills & Probate
- Guiding Those Left Behind in Indiana
- Indiana Practice: Anderson's Probate Forms, 4 volumes (25, 25A, 26, 26A)
- St. Joseph County Probate Court:
1000 South Michigan Street
South Bend, IN 46601
Voice: (574) 235-5378
Fax: (574) 235-5382
Federal Law Resources
- Federal Register
- Federal Sentencing Guidelines
- Indiana Rules of Court: Federal - also contains Local Bankruptcy Rules
- Supreme Court Archives
- US Citizenship & Immigration Services
- US Court of Appeals - 7th Circuit
- US District Court - Northern District of Indiana
- United States Code and Previous Versions of United States Code
- United States Code of Federal Regulations
- United States Constitution (searchable)
- US Copyright Office
- US Patent & Trademark Office
Bankruptcy
Filing for bankruptcy? SJCPL has several books to help you get started, such as the one below. Ask a librarian for help locating bankruptcy resources, or see the links below for bankruptcy forms.
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- Northern District of Indiana - Local Bankruptcy Forms
- Northern District of Indiana - Local Bankruptcy Rules (download .pdf file)
- Official Bankruptcy Forms
Other Law Resources
- Court Forms
- FindLaw: Federal & State Cases & Codes
- Legal Information Institute (Cornell)
- Michigan Legal Information
Personnel Issues
The following resources are good places to start your research on labor laws and practices:
- The Department of Labor's Employment Law site is a good resource for employers and employees alike.
- Indiana Guides to Human Resource Management
- Human Resources CCH (Commerce Clearing House Inc.) Products
Last updated: --Katie 10:44, 3 Dec 2005 (EST)
