Questions about legal matters account for many of the reference questions which are asked on a day to day basis. Legal information is often difficult to find, and when found, it can be difficult to understand. Reference librarians are not lawyers, and unfortunately, most times we cannot give a definitive answer to any legal question.
The library has a collection of books acquired in response to some commonly asked questions. Neighbor law is a resource for questions involving boundary disputes, fences, noise and second-hand smoke. It provides practical advice and information about researching the law online. Personal injury law advice is contained in How to win your personal injury claim which will explain which cases can be handled without legal representation and which cases can't. It also provides examples of documentation and an accident claim worksheet. Nolo's encyclopedia of everyday law is a catch-all book covering legal issues as diverse as adoption, estate planning and criminal law. Other legal books which might prove helpful include: Represent yourself in court, Stand up to the IRS, Every tenant's legal guide and Divorce and money : everything you need to know.
Websites can also be an invaluable source of accurate and useful legal information. The state of New Hampshire website is divided into a number of sections, one of these is the judicial branch. Here on this page are links to the Self help center which contains forms, fees, alternatives to court and links to other frequently requested areas of legal information. The Frequently Asked Questions include answers to questions like "Do I need a lawyer to go to court?" and "Why can't the people who work at the courthouse give me legal advice?". The state also provides a link to New Hampshire legal assistance which provides free and low cost legal help for senior citizens and low-income families. The information concerning eligibility for this help can be found here.
Several other websites might be of assistance when you are seeking legal information:
New Hampshire Revised Statues Annotated
New Hampshire law library
New Hampshire Motor vehicle laws
If all of this help is not enough, and you find that you need to hire a lawyer, try Martindale-Hubbell. This website will help you to locate a lawyer by name, by firm, by area of expertise or by location. It will also provide you with peer review ratings for those lawyers who have them, and will explain what the ratings mean.
Hopefully, you will never need most of this information. Happy reading!