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1. Tools for Searching the Internet for More Information |
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If you are looking for the law of another state or if you have no access to statutes at any public or law libraries, then your best option is to search the Internet. Here are some Web sites that will link you to state laws on-line:
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2. Internet Search Tips |
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Researching laws of the states is like detective work: it requires time, experience, and knowledge of how states reference their laws. What follows are some basic guidelines for Internet searches. We have tried to make these tips as simple as possible. Even so, the process may seem very difficult. Don’t be intimidated; you will probably find that the process is not as complicated as it first appears when you are actually using the Internet-based databases and statutory citations.
The first problem you may encounter when doing a Web search is actually locating each state's laws. A state may refer to its laws as statutes, code(s), or laws. You may have to look carefully to find the appropriate term. It might be listed on its own, or it may be combined with other things such as a state's constitution or administrative regulations.
The second problem is finding the actual law for which you are looking. You may be able to search by typing in citation numbers, doing a keyword search, or both. Global searches might be difficult unless you know the exact title of the law you are seeking. For example, California's APS law is titled "Adult Protective Services," whereas North Carolina's APS law is titled "Protection of the Abused, Neglected or Exploited Disabled Adult Act." Names of laws are more likely to be revised than citation numbers, which is why state citation numbers have been provided in
Laws Related To Elder Abuse: Citations By State
, rather than the statutory titles.
States also have different ways of formatting their citations. The citations in
Laws Related To Elder Abuse: Citations By State
are written in "blue book" format. This is the format that is used most often by lawyers when they are writing articles or documents for presentation to a court. These citations give you the information you need to use the Web sites listed in “Internet Tools for Finding State Laws.”
Understanding the meaning of the numbers and the importance of their order can make your search much easier because it is very important to know in what code, chapter, or title a provision of the law is located. Sometimes a citation format will clearly indicate that information, as in the citation for California (Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 15600). Most other states are like Alabama (Ala. Code § 38-9-1 ), which simply uses numerical and symbolic (hyphens, colons, periods) formats as a guide to indicate the location of a statutory provision. The first number of the guide is the broadest category and the latter numbers indicate more specific categories. Thus, if the database you are searching prompts you to first indicate what section/title/chapter you are looking for and the citation does not explicitly use those (or any) terms, use the first number provided.
This symbol - § - represents "Section." Be aware that blue book format calls for the section symbol to be used unless a state's citation format indicates otherwise. States may use terms like “title” or “chapter” or “code” instead of “section.” For example, Florida’s APS law (cited as Fla. Stat. Ann. § 415.101) is actually found at “chapter 415, section 101”, not at “section 415, subsection 101.” Again, if you understand the meaning of the numbers and the importance of their order, you will be able to use them regardless of the words that are used to describe them.
The term "et seq." is an abbreviation that means "and the following." It indicates that there is more than one sub-part to the statute.
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