The job of librarians is to know the resources and services available to patrons regarding legal documents and forms. It is the patron's job to draft his or her own legal documents and to choose a particular form and complete it. It is also the patron's responsibility to determine how and with whom to serve or file a legal document or form.
When helping a patron who is searching for and needs to complete legal forms, librarians:
TRY TO
- Inform patrons about the existence of court approved legal forms
- Show patrons how to navigate a particular website that contains court-approved forms
- Inform patrons of any known legal services groups that are available to help them complete legal forms
- Recommend form books for examples of legal forms
- Suggest books on specific legal topics that may include forms
- Show patrons how to use the index and table of contents for a particular form book
- Point out that annotated codes, legal encyclopedias, and treatises may reference forms relevant to a legal topic
TRY NOT TO
- Prepare legal documents or complete forms for patrons
- Advise patrons on how to fill out forms
- Interpret the language in a form for a patron
- Suggest that a patron use a particular form
(Source: University of South Carolina School of Law)