By law, court employees, including deputy clerks, are not allowed to give
legal advice or direction. They do not hold law degrees and could be prosecuted for practicing law
without a license.
You may have questions that court staff are not permitted to answer. Please be courteous to staff and respect the limits on how they are permitted to assist you.
Court staff may not
x provide you with legal research;
x tell you what forms to file;
x tell you if the content of your filing is adequate or will satisfy the requirements;
x fill out any part of your forms;
x tell you any judge or magistrate’s decision before it is issued by the court.
Court staff may
✓ explain terms used in the court process;
✓ give you information from your case file;
✓ provide you with court forms.
Should you need additional assistance, please consult an attorney.
For the Ottawa County Bar Association click here