Welcome to the Michigan Legal Help Website!
This tutorial will tell you how to use this website. Even if you don’t have a lot of experience with the internet, you can use this site.
We will show you how to search this website for legal information, or to find a lawyer who may be able to help you with your legal problem.
To start, you can either use the search box at the top of the page, or select a subject area under the heading “Self Help Tools.”
To use the search box, type your legal problem in the text box labeled, “search for your legal problem.” Try using just a few key words, not an entire sentence. For example, instead of typing, “My landlord hasn’t returned my security deposit,” try using “security deposit.” Then hit the “enter” key on your keyboard, or click on the magnifying glass icon next to the search bar. If your search is successful, you will see a screen listing Articles, Court Forms, and maybe a Toolkit or a Toolkit Guide. If your search is not successful, try a different word or phrase, or try selecting a subject area instead.
If you want to search by subject area, select one of the subject areas titles or icons underneath the heading Self-Help Tools that you think relates to your legal problem. You will then see a screen listing Articles, Court Forms, and Toolkits or a Toolkit Guide relating to that area of law.
When you have a page of results, you can review all of the results or you can filter them by Content Type or by Legal Issue. If you only want to see articles, click on Articles. If you only want to see forms, click on Court Forms. If you only want to see things related to family law, click on Family. You can also see more search results by clicking the “next” button at the end of the list.
You can click on any item to look at it. You will be asked to select your county. This will provide you with information about laws that apply to your location in Michigan. It will also provide you with a list of legal and community resources in area that may be able to help you with your legal problem. Select the county that you live in, or if you have a legal problem in another county, select that county. To change your county, click on the county name and pick a different county from the list.
If there is a toolkit for your problem, that is the best place to start. If you select a toolkit guide, you will answer a series of questions that helps you find the right toolkit for you. In a toolkit, you will find Articles, Common Questions, Court Forms, and other resources. Some toolkits have a Checklist which tells you what to do, step-by-step, after you have filled out a Court Form.
Whether you are looking at a Toolkit, Article, or Court Form, your screen will always have boxes on the right side to help you find additional resources. These boxes will help you Find a Lawyer or Community Services, or both. You may also find Court Information here, if your legal matter is one that might end up in court.
You can also search directly for a lawyer or community organization to help you. Select Find A Lawyer or Community Services under the heading Organizations and Courts. Select your county, and if you need to, filter by what kind of legal issue you have. Click on the name of any organization to learn more.
Any time you are looking at an Article, or Checklist, or a list of Common Questions, you can use the icons in the upper right hand side to print, email, or share that piece of content on a social media outlets. At any time when you are on the site, you can Tell Us What You Think by taking our survey at the top of the page. If you need additional help, there are tutorial videos on other pages of the site. There is also a Help page where you can see all the tutorial videos at once.
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about how to use the Michigan Legal Help website.