Ottawa County Legal Self-Help Center

Resources

Ottawa County Courthouse

  1. Two (2) Public Computers
    • Internet Access
    • MarginSoft Child Support Calculator/MiChildSupport Calculator
    • Microsoft Word
    • Microsoft Excel
    • Printer Access (print outs/copies are $0.25 a page and can be picked up in the LSHC)
  2. Research Materials
  3. Free Publications

Online Resources

Legal Resources

General Information
  1. How to Research a Legal Problem: A Guide for Non-Lawyers
    This guide is intended to help a person with a legal problem find legal rules that can
    resolve or prevent conflict.
  2. Common Legal Citations and How to Find Them (PDF)
    Use this chart to identify frequently cited Michigan and federal legal materials.
  3. Michigan Legislative History
    This guide is designed to help you find Michigan legislative documents in the Law Library and elsewhere (University of Michigan).
  4. Sources of Michigan Legislative History (PDF)
  5. Research Sources: Starting Points
  6. Legal Information Institute (Cornell Law School)
Free Legal Research Websites
  1. Library of Michigan - Law Library
    • Michigan Government Information
      • Annual Reports
      • Topical Monographs
      • Statistical reports and data
      • Periodicals, brocures, pamphlets
      • Visual media such as videos, maps, and posters
    • Michigan Administrative Law Materials
      • Executive (gubernatorial) orders and directives
      • Administrative rules and the Michigan regulatory code
      • Administrative opinions, rulings and/or decisions (formal and informal)
      • Formal policies, directives, bulletins and letter rulings
      • Procedural manuals and handbooks
    • Michigan Legislative and Statutory Materials
      • Legislative bills, resolutions, acts, summaries and analyses
      • Excerpts of Michigan House and Senate Journals
      • Public acts (session laws) and codified statutes
      • Procedural manuals, handbooks, and analyses
      • Finding aids and resources to assist with legislative history and statutory research
    • Michigan Constitutional Law
      • Constitutional Convention proceedings, records and journals
      • Constitutional commentary and analysis
      • Michigan ballot proposals
    • Michigan Caselaw, Court Rules and Procedures
      • Court rules
      • Judicial opinions, rulings and/or decisions (formal and informal)
      • Formal policies, directives, bulletins or other rulings
      • Procedural manuals and handbooks
    • Michigan Regional, Local, and Tribal Government Materials
      • Charters, constitutions, by-laws
      • Codes and ordinances
      • Compacts
    • Library of Michigan History
      The Library of Michigan History Collection contains images and documents that chronicle the library's history.
  2. State of Michigan
  3. Michigan Legislature
Paid Legal Research Websites
  1. Westlaw
  2. Lexis

Online Legal Help Centers

  1. Michigan Legal Help
  2. Michigan Courts Self-Help Center

Federal Legal Resources

  1. United States Supreme Court Opinions
  2. United States Code
  3. Federal Register

Michigan Legal Resources

  1. Michigan Constitution
  2. State of Michigan Departments
  3. Michigan Administrative Code
  4. Administrative Decisions
  5. Attorney General Opinions
  6. Tax Forms
  7. Statutes, bills and pending legislation
  8. Opinions of the Michigan Supreme Court and Michigan Court of Appeals
  9. Court Rules
  10. Model Civil Jury Instructions
  11. Court Forms – SCAO approved
  12. Michigan Child Support Formula
  13. Michigan Court of Appeals
  14. Michigan Supreme Court

Local Legal Resources

  1. miOttawa.org
  2. Local Ordinances – Ottawa County
  3. Basic Court Procedures – 58th District Court

Libraries

Law Libraries
  1. Directory of Michigan Law Services
    This directory provides contact information for law libraries in Michigan. This directory also contains information about the kinds of materials each library has.
  2. Michigan State College of Law Library
  3. Western Michigan University – Cooley Law School Libraries
  4. University of Michigan Law Library
  5. Wayne State University Law Library
Local Libraries
  1. Allendale Township Library
  2. Gary Byker Memorial Library of Hudsonville
  3. Georgetown Township Public Library
  4. Herrick District Library(Holland)
  5. Howard Miller Library(Zeeland)
  6. Loutit District Library (Grand Haven)
  7. Coopersville Area District Library
  8. Patmos Library of Jamestown
  9. Spring Lake District Library

Miscellaneous Resources

  1. National Center for State Courts
  2. Glossary of Legal Terms
  3. Ottawa County Bar Association
  4. State of Michigan Bar Association