For forms and information on how to represent yourself in the legal system, please visit the Indiana Judiciary website at: http://www.in.gov/judiciary/selfservice/

Office of the Clerk of Courts (first floor of County Building) can also provide forms relating to self-represented persons seeking divorce, support, visitation, name change and other filings.  Clerk also distributes ”forms” for Small Claims cases.

ONLY LICENSED LAWYERS CAN GIVE "LEGAL ADVICE"

Neither a Judge nor the Clerk, nor any of their staff members, can give legal advice—a lawyer should always be consulted for professional advice. A Small Claims manual is available at the Clerk office The Clerk can also provide “forms” for self represented dissolution (divorce) filings and certain child support and parenting time matters. The Clark Self Help Center, while not offering legal advice, can provide referral lists of area lawyers and agencies that might be able to assist self represented citizens in obtaining options for their legal inquiries. 

INDIANA LAW DOES NOT ALLOW PERSONS IN A LAWSUIT TO INFORMALLY TALK TO THE JUDGE AND HERE IS WHY:

The Judge must remain independent, impartial, and unbiased to BOTH sides to a dispute through ALL PHASES of the case. The Judge can’t take sides with anyone party to a dispute. The Judge is not the lawyer for either party. The Court is not a legal services office. If the Judge, or the court staff, assists either party with the preparation of their case, then the Judge has become biased and partial, and has compromised the integrity of the Court.

Also, communications with a party must be in the presence of all other opposing parties. There cannot be private, one-sided, conversations with the Judge. This is known as the prohibition against ex parte communications.

Here is another way to look at the issue: Would you want the Judge talking to your opponent without your knowledge and give your opponent tips and pointers on how to be successful against you? And then, would you want that same Judge deciding the case?

Finally, a Just must remain independent from all influence. Suggestions that the Judge will not get your vote or that you will publicly criticize the Judge or write a letter to the editor, or that you will report the Judge to authorities will not influence the Judge’s decision, nor will it open the line of communication to the Judge.

The Canons of Judicial Conduct govern each of these topics concerning judicial independence, impartiality, and communications concerning a case. The applicable rules are CANON 1(A), CANON 2(B) (2), CANON 3(B) (5), and CANON 3(B) (8).

Any person may represent himself or herself in court without a lawyer. However, this does not make the Judge or the court staff your lawyer. If you choose to “do-it-yourself”, then you are acting as your own lawyer and your own investigator. You must perform just like a lawyer would perform in gathering evidence and other pertinent information. Neither the Judge not the court staff can assist you in preparing or presenting your case. Just because you “do-it-yourself” does not mean that the law changes or becomes easier. The law remains the same whether you are represented by a lawyer or you represent yourself. The law remains the same whether your case is worth $50.00 or $500,000.00

In small claims and protective order cases ONLY, court clerical staff can provide some forms to you and give instructions on how to complete the forms. However, no legal advice will be given and the same rules of conduct outlined above govern the Judge and court staff.

Under the above rules and guidelines the Clark Circuit Court No.1 staff is always ready to serve the public.