How to Find Free Legal Forms

For every legal action you take, there is a legal form to initiate it. In most civil cases, there is a legal form for everything that you must complete before filing the pleading. And when you are involved in legal action - especially if it's particularly long and complicated - the cost for those forms can stack up quickly. Instead of paying money for the forms that you need, here is how to find free legal forms:

Instructions

1. Visit your local courthouse. Most of the forms you need for your matter should be available at the court where the case was filed. Many courts do not charge you for picking up the forms, although there may be a small copying fee in some jurisdictions ranging from 5-10¢ a page. If the courthouse does not have the forms you are looking for, they can direct to you someone who does. Remember: clerks cannot give any legal advice, and that includes assisting you in figuring out what forms you need and how to fill them out, so make sure you know what you need before you ask.

2. Check your state's official website. Every state has as official government website, many of which include a "judiciary" or "court" section. These hubs usually include free legal forms that you can download and print directly from the site, to save yourself a trip to the courthouse. Look up your state's website and search for "legal forms," "legal practice forms," or "judiciary forms" to find out.

3. Take a trip to a law library. If there is a law school in your area, chances are, there's a law library. Unlike traditional libraries, law libraries have thousands of books on every legal topic you can imagine. They also usually carry books that contain legal forms for patrons to copy and use as they need. Again, the librarian cannot give you legal advice, but they should be able to direct you to the books that contain the forms you are looking for, as long as you know what those forms on. Make sure you pick up the most recent copy of the book, and check the form's date to ensure it's still used - if it's more than 5 or 10 years old, it's probably outdated. You may incur a small copying fee for using their copy machines, as well.

4. Check out some online resources. While most of the websites available charge a fee for downloading legal forms, you can still find some legal forms for free - you just have to know where to look. There are a couple of websites that offer free legal information, including legal forms for divorce and custody issues, leases, bankruptcy, and more. Check out these sites to see if they have what you need:

   http://www.freelegalforms.net/
   http://www.yourfreelegalforms.com/
   http://resources.lawinfo.com/index.html