Self-Help | Jenkins Law Library

Before you Begin

Legal research can be very difficult, even for someone who knows the law. The links below will help you get started with your research. Because we are not lawyers, we cannot give you answers to your legal questions. In fact, we will tell you that you should consult an attorney if you have a legal problem.

Dictionaries

Law.com Dictionary

ALM Media Properties, LLC

Search for the definition of a legal term or search the definitions for a specific term.

Nolo's Plain-English Law Dictionary

Plain-English defiintions for legal terms. Browse only.

Divorce

This manual is only a guide. It is not to be used as a substitute for legal advice. It is not designed for people with complicated divorce issues. Appendix A contains definitions of terms you will see in this manual and Appendix B contains relevant statutory provisions. For the text of the Pennsylvania Divorce Code, see Title 23 PA.C.S.A Domestic Relations Chapter IV, of the Unofficial Purdon's Pennsylvania Statutes. This manual was last updated in July 2007.

Who Should Use This Manual?

Women's Law Project

Before you begin, please read the important information in Part 1 of the Divorce Manual to make sure that you can file "no fault".

Complete No-Fault Divorce Manual

Women's Law Project

Download the entire No-Fault Divorce Manual.

Blank Forms with Instructions and Sample for Consent Divorces

Women's Law Project

From Appendix C of the Divorce Manual. These forms are in PDF format.

Blank Forms with Instructions and Sample for Two-Year Separation Divorces

Women's Law Project

From Appendix D of the Divorce Manual. These forms are in PDF format.

Elder Law

Guide to Legal Issues for PA Senior Citizens

Pennsylvania Bar Association

Topics covered include financial planning, estate planning, power of attorney, social security, and Medicare.

List of Nursing Homes in PA

Pennsylvania Dept. of Health

Can search by county, city, or zip code.

Pennsylvania Department of Aging

Information for Senior Citizens including health and wellness programs, home and community based services, prescription assistance programs, and other local resources.

Forms

Docstoc

User-generated community for sharing professional documents. Find legal, business, technology, and other types of documents for free. Allows members to upload documents for others to use. Members can also store documents in their own personal online folders for anytime, anywhere access.

Judicial Misconduct and Disability

Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts

Congress has created a procedure that allows any person to file a complaint in the courts about the behavior of a federal judge, but not about the decisions federal judges make in deciding cases. This site links to each federal Circuit Court site containing the rules explaining what may be complained about, who may be complained about, were to file a complaint, and how the complaint will be processed.

Pennsylvania Public Notices

Legacy.com

Public notices from many Pennsylvania local newspapers.

Philadelphia Bar Association Family Law Resources

Contains forms and instructions (in PDF format) prepared under the sponsorship of the Family Law Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association.

Philadelphia Courts - First Judicial District of Pennsylvania Forms Center

Sample forms from Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas: Civil & Criminal Trial Division; Family Division; and Orphans' Court Division. Also includes forms from Municipal Court and Traffic Court.

Philadelphia Estate Practitioner Handbook

Philadelphia Bar Assoc. and Wachovia Bank

Contains the Blue Book (Manual), Green Book (Forms), Red Book (practice and procedure), and also statewide Orphans' Court forms.

Social Security Forms

U.S. Social Security Administration

Search by keywords or form number. Browse by category or form name.

Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Forms for Citizens

Sample forms from the Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts, including Civil Complaint, Landlord and Tenant Complaint, Notice of Appeal, and more.

Immigration Law

ImmigrationLawHelp

"Helping low-income immigrants find legal help." Can search by state, county, or detention facility and further refine search by selecting type of legal assistance needed.

Legal Aid

Community Legal Services

Provides free legal services to Philadelphia's low-income residents.

County Assistance Offices

Pennsylvania Dept. of Public Welfare

Directory for all PA counties; includes addresses and phone/fax numbers.

Directory of Consumer-Driven Services

National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.

Provides consumers, researchers, administrators, service providers, and others with a comprehensive central resource for information about national and local consumer-driven programs. Such programs have a proven track record in helping people recover from mental illnesses.

Directory of Public Interest Legal Organizations

Philadelphia Bar Association

A list of public interest law agencies that serve Philadelphia's neediest citizens.

Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania (LASP)

Provides free legal representation to low-income, eligible clients in a variety of civil matters in Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, and Delaware Counties.

PaLawHELP

PA Legal Aid, PA Bar Association, and Legal Services Corporation

Self-help information and sample forms.

Pennsylvania Health Law Project

PHLP provides free legal services to lower-income consumers, seniors, and persons with disabilitites who are having trouble accessing public funded healthcare coverage or services.

Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network

Client-centered organization that provides leadership, funding, and support to improve the availability and quality of civil legal aid and direct legal services for low income people and victims of domestic violence in Pennsylvania.