Statuteworks publishes procedural reference content — clear, sourced explanations of how state and federal legal processes actually work. This page describes how our editors research, write, verify, and update the articles you read here.
What we are
A small editorial team focused on making procedural rules legible to people who need to understand a court process, a filing deadline, or a regulatory procedure — and who can’t easily afford an attorney to walk them through it.
Every article we publish is researched from official legal sources: state legislatures, state and federal courts, attorneys general, regulatory agencies, secretaries of state, and authoritative supporting institutions such as the Cornell Legal Information Institute and state bar associations. Our editors read the underlying statute, rule, or regulation in the original — not paraphrased through a third-party site.
What we are not
If you are deciding whether to file a case, what to file, how to respond to something filed against you, or how to handle a deadline that affects your rights — please talk to a licensed attorney in your state. Most state bars run lawyer referral services, and most state court self-help pages list legal aid programs for people who cannot afford private representation.
How we research
Our editors follow the same research and review path for every article:
- Primary sources first. We locate the relevant statute, court rule, or regulatory section at its canonical official source — the state legislature for statutes, the state courts site for rules of procedure, the secretary of state for entity filings, and so on. Our editors read each cited authority in the original before writing about it.
- Deep, specific citations. Citations in the text link to the exact page for the exact statute or rule we cite — not to a court system’s homepage. Where a specific URL is not available, we cite the section in plain text rather than pointing readers at a generic landing page.
- Verification before publication. Before an article goes live, our editors confirm every cited authority is reachable, current, and actually supports the claim being made. Sources that have moved, been reorganized, or no longer say what they used to are replaced.
- Source diversity. Articles draw from multiple distinct authoritative sources — typically a state statute site, a state courts site, and at least one supporting authority — so readers aren’t asked to take one source’s word for the whole picture.
- Editorial review. Every draft is read by our editorial team for accuracy against the cited sources, clarity of explanation, structural sense (does the article actually answer the question a reader came in with), and readability for someone who isn’t a lawyer. Articles that don’t meet the standard go back for revision before they reach a reader.
Review and updates
Statutes change. Court rules are amended. Filing fees go up. Forms get reissued. Our editors treat ongoing accuracy as part of publishing — not something we do once and walk away from.
- Published articles are re-reviewed on a recurring schedule, with priority given to the most-read pages and the topics most likely to be affected by recent legislative or rule changes.
- When our editors learn of a meaningful change in law — through periodic review, a reader correction, or the official publication of a new rule — the affected article is updated and every cited source on the page is re-verified.
- Citation health is monitored continuously. When a cited authority’s URL stops working or starts redirecting somewhere else, our editors are alerted and the page is reviewed.
When you should consult a lawyer
Procedural reference is useful, but it is not a substitute for advice on your situation. The general rule: use Statuteworks to understand how a process works before you talk to a lawyer, so the conversation is more productive — not as a replacement for that conversation.
Talk to a licensed attorney in your state if any of the following apply:
- You are about to file or respond to a court case and are not sure what claims or defenses apply to your facts.
- A deadline in your matter is approaching and missing it would affect your rights (statute of limitations, response deadlines, appeal windows).
- The amount in dispute is significant relative to your finances, or the outcome could affect your housing, immigration status, custody, employment, or criminal record.
- The other side has counsel and you do not.
State bar associations operate lawyer referral services that match people with attorneys in their area and practice type. Legal aid organizations provide free representation for those who qualify financially. Court self-help centers can answer procedural — not substantive — questions for self-represented parties.
Corrections
If you find an error — an outdated statute, a wrong filing fee, a stale form number, a misstated deadline — please tell us. Send a note to [email protected] with the URL of the article and what you believe is wrong, and a source if you have one. Our editors review every correction note. When a reader is right, we update the article and add a brief correction note at the bottom of the page with the date of the change.
Editorial team
Statuteworks is edited by Pat, who leads our editorial direction. Our team focuses on procedural-reference editing — clarity, sourcing, and usability — not legal representation. We do not employ attorneys. Decisions about scope, sourcing, voice, and review cadence are made by our editorial team.
Want to see who does this work? Meet the Statuteworks editorial team.
This page was last reviewed on May 12, 2026.