LEGAL ADVICE

Our clerks have a tremendous amount of knowledge about the court system, however, they are not allowed to provide legal advice to those who use the courts.  What is legal advice?  The clerks can provide very basic and general information on court operations (who does what) and they can provide blank copies of the various forms available.  The clerks cannot provide any of the following:

        *    Legal interpretations (what does this mean?)
        *    Procedural advice (how do I do this?)
        *    Research of statutes, court rules and ordinances (can you provide me a copy of this?)
        *    Opinions on how to proceed (What would you do?)
        *    Referrals (Can you recommend someone?)
        *    Assistance in completing forms (What should I put here?)

The best possible person to ask these questions of is your attorney.  If you do not have an attorney, there are several available in Ingham County to serve your needs.  There are several organizations available to assist, including the following

60 Plus Elder Law Clinic of the Cooley Law School, at (517) 377-0494
Legal Services of South Central Michigan at (517) 394-3121
Students at Michigan State University may call upon ASMSU Student Legal Services at (517) 353-3789. 
Michigan Legal Aid.org

The telephone directory yellow pages contains listings for many attorneys in the Ingham County area. 

The State Bar of Michigan also maintains a lawyer referral service.  You may call them at (517) 482-8816.