tutorial for a community resource

1. OHIOLEGALHELP.ORG
THE FREE TOOL FOR ACCURATE LEGAL ADVICE FOR AND BY
OHIOANS
A RESOURCE GUIDE

2. A LIGHT IN A COMPLEX LEGAL LANDSCAPE
• A nonprofit organization to help all Ohioans access the civil justice system and make
informed decisions about legal issues they face
• Ohio’s laws are often confusing, outdated and vary by city and county
• Offers plain language legal information, interactive self-help tools and connections to
local legal and community resources
• Advice is reviewed by a team of expert private and legal aid lawyers

3. HOW TO ACCESS
• Ohio Legal Help can be accessed from any computer or cellular phone with an
Internet connection
• Go to your preferred search engine and type http://www.ohiolegalhelp.org/ into the
browser, or click on the provided link

4. HISTORY OF OHIO LEGAL HELP
• In 2015, Ohio’s Task Force on Access to Justice recommended specific actions to help
close the civil justice gap
• One of these recommendations was a statewide website
- devoted to providing free, easy to understand and accurate legal information to all
Ohio residents
• Website launched in September 2019

5. WHAT OHIO LEGAL HELP CAN DO FOR YOU
• Answers questions about law, including but not limited to:
- housing
- money & debt
- health & public benefits
- education
- going to court
- family/marital issues
- end of life decisions

6. WHAT OHIO LEGAL HELP CAN DO FOR YOU
• Offers forms and other documents that are location-specific
• Does not share or save client data
- only credit card numbers if people wish to donate
• Since the information provided goes through a panel of legal experts, Ohioans can be
confident that it is accurate and reliable
• Supported by the Ohio State Bar Association, the Ohio Supreme Court, Ohio Library
Council, Ohio Domestic Violence Network, etc.

7. THE DESIGN
• On the homepage, nine white boxes appear with the name of an age group, social
status, or reason for a visit
- If there’s any doubt, pictures are also shown above the words
• Hovering (leaving the computer arrow by itself) on the box causes more text to
appear, listing possible legal scenarios
- for example: the money & debt section deals with scams, identity theft/consumer
fraud, bankruptcy, and much more
- on mobile, the full text is shown

8. THE DESIGN
• At the top left of the page, there’s an “about” section and
another on “how to find a lawyer”
• A search menu is included on the top right side, in case the
boxes aren’t relevant or helpful

9. HOW TO SEARCH
• There are two methods to use Ohio Legal Help
- Search by keyword(s) on the site menu
- Look through the labeled boxes and answer the questions when prompted

10. EXAMPLE ONE:
KEYWORD(S)
Let’s say you want to know what
forms to fill out when you need to
decide power of attorney. Put
“power of attorney forms” in the
search box and click Search.

11. EXAMPLE ONE:
KEYWORD(S)
When you get to the results page,
scroll down until you see options
to sort by category and
information type. Depending on
your needs, this filter can be
changed.
If you click the See More link,
another page opens.

12. EXAMPLE ONE: KEYWORD(S)
The new page will show more information along with options to e-mail, link or print.

13. EXAMPLE ONE: KEYWORD(S)
When you scroll down, you will see menus which allow you to preview and download the
specific form. (Some of these forms may require the Adobe PDF Reader program.)

14. EXAMPLE TWO:
BROWSING
Another way to use Ohio Legal Help is by
following the white labeled boxes on the
homepage. For instance, if you want to know
more about the court process, click the Going to
Court box (near the bottom of the page).

15. EXAMPLE
TWO:
BROWSING
You’re greeted with a question
with three choices (select that all
may apply). When you finish, click
the Next button at the bottom.

16. EXAMPLE TWO: BROWSING
Once you answer the question that follows, a different page will load. If you change your
mind, you can choose to go back to the previous question or start over.

17. EXAMPLE TWO:
BROWSING
If you decide to continue, some
questions about personal data
follow. Since this is to customize
the information you may need, the
questions are optional. You can
move on if you wish.

18. EXAMPLE TWO: BROWSING
After answering (or skipping) the previous questions, you will be shown a page with
advice, resources and documents to download (if applicable).

19. EXTRAS
If you explore the website more,
there’s a site map/quick links page
and a blog + news section. Recent
posts are highlighted, such as what
someone can do if they’re evicted and
a letter from Ohio Legal Help’s
executive director, Susan Choe

20. ASK A LIBRARIAN
If any part of this tutorial was unclear or you still have questions, please feel free to call, e-
mail or text with Ask a Librarian. We will gladly help you.
Phone: 999-999-9999
Text: 111-111-1111
E-mail: askalibrarian@library.org
Srinitya Tripuraneni
12/15/2020

21. CITATION
Need legal information, forms or a lawyer? | Ohio Legal Help. (2020, October 14).
http://www.ohiolegalhelp.org/.