Are You Paying for “Free” Legal Forms?

Before paying for legal forms online (or from a book), check to make sure they are forms the court will accept and to find out if your county or state already makes the correct forms available free of charge.

It’s not unusual to find “cheap,” “low-cost,” and “free, if …” legal forms online that judges and public law librarians know are available totally free AND are up-to-date, AND are official (that is, they will be accepted by the court where they need to be filed).

It’s also not unusual to hear about legal papers drawn up and filing fees paid, only to have the case dismissed or delayed because the wrong forms were filed or local court instructions weren’t followed.

So before paying for those online “forms,” check with your local court or law library to find out if you can get the same forms, or better ones (!), free.

Here’s an example of how this played out in Montana: Copyrighted State Legal Forms Can Protect Consumers.