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WHERE ARE THE FAMILY LAW STATUTES AND TRIAL COURT
RULES?
The main family laws are contained in the Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS), Chapters
107-109. You may look at copies of these statutes, the Uniform Trial Court Rules, or
the Supplementary Local Trial Court Rules at your county law library
. The law librarian
can help you find the books you want and explain how to use the books. The law librarian cannot give
you legal advice. If you want to copy any of the materials in the library, bring money in small bills to
pay for the copies. The law library cannot make change for large bills. The family law statutes are
also available on the internet at http://www.leg.state.or.us/ors/ under Oregon Revised Statutes, see
Chapters 107-109. Uniform Trial Court Rules are available on the internet at
http://courts.oregon.gov/OJD/rules. The Supplementary Local Rules for your county may also be
found on the Oregon Judicial Department website.
DO YOU NEED AN ATTORNEY?
Although the judge will hear cases not involving attorneys, you should try to get the assistance
of an attorney. The judge cannot give you legal advice. An attorney can help you with complicated
issues such as spousal support (alimony), custody, parenting time, and division of marital property,
including retirement benefits. If the other party has an attorney, you may be at a disadvantage if you
try to represent yourself.
WHERE CAN YOU FIND AN ATTORNEY?
LAWYER REFERRAL SERVICE: The Oregon State Bar can give you the number of an
attorney in your area who does family law cases and who will give you a one-time in-office
appointment for no more than $35.00. Call (800) 452-7636 toll free, or if in Portland (503)
684-3763. You may be eligible for the Modest Means Program which offers legal
assistance at a reduced rate in some cases. Call the same phone numbers as above for an
application.
LEGAL AID: You may be able to obtain legal help from Legal Aid Services of Oregon. See your
phone book for numbers or information is available on their website: www.oregonlawhelp.org.
OTHER LEGAL HELP
: Some attorneys may be willing to work on a sliding fee scale based on your
income or to provide you with limited legal assistance, sometimes called “unbundled legal services.”
An attorney who does this will represent you on only a part of your case, not for the entire matter; for
example, to review forms, to give you "coaching" before a hearing, or to do some research on a
particular issue. The cost to you is less than the cost of full representation. For referrals to such
attorneys, contact the Oregon State Bar (800) 452-7636 or your local court. Most courts have “family
law facilitation programs” where court staff provide help, but not legal advice, to people without
attorneys. The family law facilitator may have a list of local attorneys who provide low-cost
or unbundled legal services. You may also want to check the yellow pages of the phone
book.
WHAT IF YOU CANNOT FIND AN ATTORNEY?
Many forms are online at http://courts.oregon.gov/familylaw or may be on the Circuit Court website
for your county. Your court may also have a Family Law Resource Center or a
Family Law Facilitator. If so, the staff may answer questions about the forms in some family law
matters and explain how to file papers in the Circuit Court. Staff members are only allowed to review
and notarize your court forms. They cannot give legal advice. An attorney is the only person who
can advise you of your legal rights or tell you what is best for you in your individual situation.
If you do not contact an attorney, or are unable to find one to represent you, you should begin
preparing your case.