Legal Resources

Online Self-Help Center

Topics available at Online Self-Help Center

Self-Help Center at Shawnee County District Court
Shawnee County District Court
2nd floor, Room 202
200 SE 7th Street, Topeka, KS 66603
Mon-Fri, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
(785) 251-6721

https://shawneecourt.org/323/Self-HelpFormsRules

Legal Aid Days Fridays 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m

• Pre-printed forms
• Computers for locating online legal forms
• Additional resources available

Third Judicial District, Shawnee County
https://shawneecourt.org
Access information related to Jury Duty, Public Access court records, and locate Docket schedules.
200 SE 7th Street, Topeka, KS 66603
785-251-6700
Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm
 

City of Topeka Municipal Court
https://topeka.gov/m-court/index.php
Topeka Municipal Court is a court of limited jurisdiction, responsible for violations of city ordinances, which include traffic infractions and misdemeanor offenses.
214 SE 8th Ave.
Topeka, KS 66603
785-368-3776

Kansas Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service
https://ksbar.org/?pg=lrs_public
The KBA Lawyer Referral Service refers clients to licensed and experienced attorneys in specific areas of law. The KBA does not provide free (pro bono) legal assistance or representation.

Kansas Legal Services
https://www.kansaslegalservices.org
Helps low and moderate income people in Kansas as a non-profit law firm and community education organization. As legal aid in Kansas, provides equal access to justice for the most vulnerable Kansans including Kansas Elder Hotline. You must apply for legal assistance: call 316-267-3975, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Online application process is ONLY available Monday-Thursday.

Washburn University Law Clinic
https://www.washburnlaw.edu/about/community/law-clinic.html
Offers free legal services in a variety of practice areas for people who cannot afford to pay for a lawyer.  Accepting clients by appointment only, call 785-670-1191 for an intake interview.

Kansas Free Legal Answers
https://kansas.freelegalanswers.org
Attorneys licensed in Kansas volunteer their time to provide free legal guidance on a range of civil legal topics for income-eligible Kansans.

Disability Rights Center of Kansas
https://www.drckansas.org/get-help
Provides free advocacy and legal services for Kansans with disabilities, with their disability rights issues. Contact the DRC at 877-776-1541.

Different types of businesses may employ notaries including banks and credit unions, shipping stores, law offices and legal professionals, libraries, government offices, tax preparer or accountants, real estate office, and mobile notary. You can verify the status of a Kansas Notary, but a complete list of local notaries does not exist.

Kansas Secretary of State Search for a Notary Public
https://sos.ks.gov/general-services/notary_public/notary-search.aspx
Verify the Notary name, city, and status and review Kansas notary duties and responsibilities.

Notary at the Library
https://tscpl.org/services/notary  
Library notaries offer limited free notary service by appointment.  Schedule online or call (785) 580-4400 to make the appointment.

What do I do if…?

Frequently asked legal questions and their common sense answers from Kansas Legal Services.

Updated housing resources from the Kansas Judicial Council’s Online Self-Help Center include:

• videos to explain the eviction process in Kansas.
• templates to help attorneys or individuals representing themselves complete legal forms
• Information and guides to help tenants and landlords understand the eviction process
• resources are for both landlord filing an eviction and tenants responding to an eviction

Common signs of a scam include:

• A phone call asking for money or personal information, such as your Social Security number.
• A request to buy gift cards to pay a purported debt or to send money to someone.
• An unauthorized charge on your credit card.
• An email or call saying you’ve won a sweepstakes or lottery, though you don’t recall entering one.

Report a scam or fraud if:

• You get a suspicious call, text or email requesting your bank account number; instructing you to buy a gift card; or promising a prize or gift.
• You gave money or financial or medical information to someone whom you now suspect was a scammer.
• A relative or friend gave money or something of value to a suspected scammer. 

Report the theft to local law enforcement, as well as the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, and Kansas Attorney General Office’s Consumer Protections.

Consumer Protections through the Kansas Attorney General Office
Whether you have suspicious charges on your phone bill or think you've been the victim of identity theft, the consumer protection specialists in the Kansas Attorney General office are here to help. They investigate scams and violations such as the Do-Not- Call List Violation, Identity Theft, business complaints, charity complaints.

AARP Fraud Watch Network
Free resource for everyone of any age; you do not have to be an AARP member.  Helpline: 877-908-3360 is available Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Speak with trained specialists who can provide support and guidance on what to do next and how to avoid scams in the future.

FINRA for Investors: Protect Your Money
You might think you’d never become a victim of a financial scam, but learning to recognize scammers’ techniques can be your best defense. Learn about common fraud tactics and scams, how to check out sellers and investments, and what questions to ask to protect yourself and your assets.

Call 9-1-1

In Shawnee County, call 911 for immediate, life-threatening emergencies requiring police, fire, or ambulance services, such as active crimes, fires, or medical crises.

For non-emergencies

Topeka Police Department
Non-emergency number: 785-368-9551

Shawnee County Sheriff's Office
Non-emergency number: 785-251-2200

How do I file a police report?

The Topeka Police Department can only receive reports for crimes that took place within the city limits of Topeka. Visit the Law Enforcement Center Police Station - we are open 24/7 and will always have a police officer posted at the front desk. To reach an officer to complete a phone in report, please call (785)368-9551. If you do not require emergency police assistance, and you have an electronic device and access to an email address, you can utilize online police reports.

City of Topeka Property Ownership and Maintenance
The Property Maintenance Unit is dedicated to protecting the public’s health, safety, and welfare through education, community engagement, and equitable enforcement of city codes and regulations as adopted by the governing body. Complaints regarding properties can be filed by calling the PMU office at 785-368-3161 or emailing propertymaintenance@topeka.org. Some issues can be reported using SeeClickFix.

Victim Services through the Kansas Attorney General Office
If someone was charged with a crime against you, this is what you can expect from the prosecutors' office and other services.

These sites can be accessed using your library card.

Research Tools

EBSCO Legal Collection 
Covers modern legal issues, studies, viewpoints, and trends, including full-text law journals and law reviews. 

Gale OneFile: LegalTrac 
Covers federal and state cases, laws and regulations, legal practice and taxation in major law reviews, legal newspapers, Bar Association journals, and international legal journals.  

Library Books about Legal Topics

Our collection focuses on consumer friendly do-it-yourself legal products written in plain English on a variety of topics.
Check Out or Request with Your Library Card

Regional law libraries have more extensive collections of legal materials  available to the public.

Washburn Law Library
Open to public 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (M-F). 1700 SW College Ave. upper level, in Topeka. You must visit the library to access Lexis/Nexis Digital Library and West Academic study aids. This library is a congressionally designated depository for U.S. Government Documents.

University of Kansas Wheat Law Library
Provides access to legal information for legal professionals and the general public.  On-site visitors may access materials including electronic resources at Green Hall, 1535 W. 15th Street in Lawrence. Check the schedule online for open dates; public patron hours end at 5 p.m.

Kansas Supreme Court Law Library
The Kansas Supreme Court Law Library is at Kansas Judicial Center, 301 SW 10^th Ave. first floor in Topeka. You must visit the library to use HeinOnline for caselaw and periodicals, Westlaw for statutes and caselaw search and LexisNexis Digital Library.

State Library of Kansas Government Information
Offers the free Kansas Legislative Hotline at 800-432-3924 for questions specifically about the Kansas Legislature (past or present). Open to the public, in the Capitol Building, 300 SW 10th Avenue, Room 312-N in Topeka.