What Legal Topics Does Indiana Legal Help Cover?

Updated

Indiana Legal Help organizes its legal topics into six main categories: Housing; Family and Safety; Money and Estate; Military, Immigration, and Employment; Driving and Expungement; and Other Legal Issues. If your question falls under one of these categories, the site is designed to point you toward information, forms, and sometimes free advice. The site states that "there are services in every county," and you can enter your zip code or select your county to get started.

The Six Main Legal Topic Categories

The homepage groups topics so you can pick the one that "best fits your question or situation." Here is what each category covers based on the site's own listings.

Housing

  • Foreclosure
  • Rent and Eviction

Family and Safety

  • Adult Guardianship
  • Child Custody
  • Child Support
  • Contempt
  • Divorce
  • Domestic Violence / Protection Order
  • Minor Child Guardianship
  • Name Change
  • Parenting Time
  • Paternity
  • Relocation
  • Plus additional subtopics (the site shows "+6" beyond those listed)

Money and Estate

  • Debt
  • Estate

Military, Immigration, and Employment

  • Discrimination at Work
  • Immigration
  • Military and Veteran Assistance

Driving and Expungement

  • Driving
  • Expungement

Other Legal Issues

  • Consumer Issues

How to Choose the Right Topic

Start with the category that matches your situation, not the legal label. A few examples:

  • Facing removal from your home → Housing → Rent and Eviction
  • Ending a marriage → Family and Safety → Divorce
  • Being sued for unpaid money → Money and Estate → Debt
  • Fired or treated unfairly at work → Military, Immigration, and Employment → Discrimination at Work
  • Trying to clear a criminal record → Driving and Expungement → Expungement

If your issue spans categories (for example, a divorce that also involves debt), check both topic pages rather than assuming one covers everything.

What You Get on a Topic Page

Topic pages are the entry point to information and forms. Beyond the topic listings, the site provides:

  • Information and Forms — a dedicated section for documents and guidance
  • Commonly Used Forms — including Contempt, Continuance, Fee Waiver, Virtual Hearing, and Appearance forms
  • After a Case Is Filed — information you may need once a case is in court
  • Filing Fee FAQ and Service FAQ — answers on filing costs and how to serve court forms
  • Indiana County Court Local Rules — local rules by county
  • Glossary of Legal Terms — definitions to help you understand terms used on the site

If Your Question Isn't Covered by a Topic Page

Two other routes exist on the site:

  • Free Legal Answers — the site describes this as a way to email an attorney for free legal advice if you have a legal question.
  • Calendar of Events — attend an upcoming clinic to speak with an attorney.

Both are aimed at self-represented litigants. As the site's managing attorney puts it, "Many low-income Hoosiers are unable to afford an attorney. Indiana Legal Help is a great place for self-represented litigants to find easy to use resources that will help them gain access to courts."

Quick Check Before You Dig In

  1. Identify your category from the six above.
  2. Open that topic page and scan the subtopics for your exact situation.
  3. Check the Information and Forms section for documents you may need.
  4. If you still have a question, use Free Legal Answers or find a clinic under Events.
  5. Confirm any county-specific rules using the Indiana County Court Local Rules link.