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What the Legal Self Help Center Can & Can’t Do for You

The North Dakota Legal Self Help Center can give information about civil legal process in North Dakota state courts to people who represent themselves without a lawyer.

The Center can’t give any legal advice, act as your lawyer in any way, or give information about criminal legal process.

What the Legal Self Help Center CAN do for you:

  • Can provide neutral and impartial service equally to all North Dakota state court users
  • Can provide information about common North Dakota state court processes in civil matters
  • Can direct you to available forms and provide limited instruction and explanation on how to complete the forms or other required paperwork (forms aren’t available for all legal problems)
  • Can tell you how and where to find North Dakota state laws, rules and regulations
  • Can provide you with starting points for your legal research into your issue
  • Can provide information about mediation services, the State Bar Association’s volunteer and reduced fee lawyer programs and Legal Services of North Dakota
  • Can provide contact information for federal, North Dakota state or county agencies or non-profit organizations that may offer additional information or services

What the Legal Self Help Center CAN’T do for you

  • Can’t give you any legal advice or legal representation
  • Can’t assist in criminal matters
  • Can’t tell you if you have a good case
  • Can’t tell you how case law, statutes or rules apply to your situation
  • Can’t tell you what to do or help you decide the best option for your situation
  • Can’t tell you what strategy to follow
  • Can’t tell you what words to put on a form or fill out the forms for you
  • Can’t create any legal documents for you
  • Can’t file documents for you
  • Can’t tell you what to say in court
  • Can’t predict what any judge or court may do, say or decide
  • Can’t explain a judicial decision
  • Can’t refer you to a specific lawyer

Things to Remember

  • The Legal Self Help Center ISN’T your lawyer
  • Information from the Legal Self Help Center ISN’T legal advice and can’t replace the advice of a licensed lawyer
  • It’s up to YOU to make ALL decisions about your case
  • It is up to YOU to prepare, file, and serve papers
  • It is up to YOU to follow up on anything the court requires you to do

If you do not understand any of this information, or if you have trouble filling out any of the forms located here, please see an attorney for help.

The information provided on and obtained from this site does not constitute the official record of the Court. This information is provided as a service to the general public. Any user of this information is hereby advised that it is being provided "as is". The information provided may be subject to errors or omissions. Visitors to this site agree that the Court is not liable for errors or omissions of any of the information provided.

If you have a question relating to a case that is already filed please contact the clerk of court for the county.