This self help page is a resource for representing yourself in a civil
litigation matter. One of the library's goals is to provide tools and
information for non-attorneys to learn about and act upon their legal
rights. This page is intended to fill the information gap that
particularly exists in the context of civil litigation where there are
few court approved forms.
What you will find here is a starting point for learning about and
starting to draft court documents. You may need to visit our library for
additional research on document drafting, procedural law, strategy, or
the specific law of your case called substantive law - for example; what
you need to prove to win a breach of contract case.
Pleading Paper - The Starting Point for Court Documents
A sample of pleading paper is here:
Pleading Paper Download (Microsoft Word)
Tips for use: Any final formatting decisions are up to the end user.
This pleading paper example is meant to comply with UTCR 2.010 but the
user should review it for accuracy. Finally, whether or not a certain
section needs certain information is a decision to be made from
reviewing local rules, laws, and form documents.
Court Rules - Statewide and Local
This is a compilation of many of the most accessed court rules for Lane County litigants:
Lane County Court Rules Deskbook
If you need help locating a court rule, feel free to contact the librarian for assistance in beginning your research at 541-682-4337.
Finding Forms, Examples and Sample Language
The library has many electronic and print document samples and forms.
Most are not "fill in the blank forms" but instead, something you can
use to create documents by typing in to the above pleading paper along
with information and law specific to your case.
As an example of some of the "forms" our library has, here is an index
of most of the Oregon specific examples/forms in our library, most are
located in the Oregon State Bar BarBooks series:
Oregon Form Index (PDF). Again, you can use Control+F to search for specific terms.
Drafting documents takes care and hard work. There are too many fact
scenarios to have a form for every document in every case in every
state.There may not be a good sample for some documents from an Oregon
source. You may need to make use of a more general source,and through
research ensure that you are using Oregon Law within your content.
Frequently Requested Documents:
Disclaimer
This page is not intended to act as a substitute for legal advice from
an attorney. Any information that is provided is not assured to be all
the information you need for a topic but those sources which may be
helpful. As a self-represented litigant, your case is ultimately your
responsibility. We encourage patrons to consult with or retain an
attorney before undertaking litigation on their own behalf.
This site is intended to be used in conjunction with our physical
library. Some documents can be delivered by email, while others you may
need to come to the library to determine which document you need from a
series of many.