Information the Clerk’s Office
Can and Cannot Provide
Please be advised that Clerk’s Office staff is prohibited by law from offering legal advice pursuant to 28 U.S.C.§ 955. They are, however, permitted to answer questions regarding procedure and how to access legal forms and reference resources. Listed below is a guide as to what information the Clerk’s Office staff can and cannot provide.
Information the Clerk’s Office Can Provide:
- Information regarding Court policies and procedures
- Public information from your case docket and how to obtain information from a public computer terminal located in the Clerk’s Office or via PACER (https://pacer.uscourts.gov/)
- Court forms and court schedules
- Information on how to access the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, the Local Rules of the Court, and other legal resources
Information the Clerk’s Office Cannot Provide:
- Legal advice
- Guidance on whether or not you should file a case or other pleadings
- Instruction on what to write in court documents and what to say in court proceedings
- Interpretation of court orders
- Computation of deadlines in your case
- Direct communication with the assigned Judge on your behalf
- Direction on what to do next in your case
- Access or information regarding any restricted or sealed document, including whether a case is sealed
Rev. 08/2023