Next week, we will return to the question-and-answer format. Today, in an effort to address a number of emails, Ask the Lawyer lists resources available (primarily online) that may be of interest to you, as well as informative for you:

• California State Bar (www.calbar.org/ On the left side click pamphlets.): The State Bar has a wide array of booklets for lay people. Titles cover whether estate planning is necessary, what to do if you are arrested, and issues ranging from kids and elder abuse to guidance for crime victims.

• Self-help website of the courts (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/): An array of legal topics are covered in fair detail, some with forms that can be used. You will find icons to click onto, including small claims, landlord/tenant, traffic tickets, no- or low-cost legal services, and family law issues.

• Small Claims Court Advisor: Available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Los Angeles County at 213-974 5759.

• California Department of Consumer Affairs (www.dca.gov/): The department consists of agencies that regulate many industries in California, from contractors and funeral homes to auto repair shops and nail salons. Most of the agencies have a form complaint process you can follow to address genuine problems that arise. Many also have literature or details at their websites about the particular industries being regulated.

• Unpaid wages: Go to www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/, type “wage claims” in the search box. The process is explained and appropriate forms are referenced.

• Internal Revenue Service (www.irs.gov/): OK, this may not be your favorite pit stop, but let’s at least give some credit here — the website has a library of pamphlets on a variety of tax matters, forms you can navigate, and even a help and resources section.

• Your local police department likely has a website. Many (take Manhattan Beach, for example) have topic headings you can learn from, such as identity theft and public safety tips.

• California court forms (www.courts.ca.gov.forms/htm/): This website contains (by name or form number) the basic forms we often utilize in a variety of court proceedings. You can print them out or fill them out online and then print them out.

• The California Department of Insurance (www.california.insurance.gov/): This website has a “request for assistance” format and process (type those words in the search box) by which you can submit a complaint against an insurance company online.

• The California Department of Managed Health Care (www.dmhc.ca.gov/): This website has a process and form by which you can complain if you feel your health insurer is not treating you fairly (e.g., has unreasonably denied coverage for a medical procedure).

This is certainly not exhaustive of the many resources online, but it’s a sampling that can be of great assistance to you.

Ron Sokol is a Manhattan Beach attorney with more than 30 years of experience. His column appears on Wednesdays. Email questions and comments to him at RonSesq@aol.com or write to him at Ask The Lawyer, Daily Breeze, 21250 Hawthorne Blvd., Suite 170, Torrance, CA 90503. This column is a summary of the law and not a substitute for legal consultation on any particular case.