Videos & Tutorials

The Minnesota Judicial Branch provides these videos and tutorials for general educational purposes. The content is not a substitute for legal advice from a lawyer. The information is based on Minnesota law, but some information may be specific to a particular Judicial District or County Court.

Contact a Self Help Center

Find more videos on the Minnesota Judicial Branch channel on YouTube.

Conciliation Court

• Understanding Small Claims Court (1 min.)
• Small Claims - General overview of Conciliation Court (also known as Small Claims Court) (Video from the National Center for State Courts)

Criminal & Traffic

• *New* Statement of Rights - Video created by the MN Judicial Branch explaining your rights in a MN criminal court case. 
• Criminal Expungement (60 min., 16 Chapters) (NOTE: The forms covered in these videos have changed due to the 2023 MN Legislative Session. The videos are still a helpful guide, but keep in mind that the forms no longer match exactly. Updated videos will be released shortly.)
• Drug Courts: Savings Money and Saving Lives (11 min.) (MN Judicial Branch & TPT-MN Channel)

Family & Juvenile Law

• How to File a Motion in Family Court
• How to File a Motion to Modify Child Support (50 min., 6 Chapters)
• How to File a Motion to Stop a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA)
• How to Start a Divorce in Minnesota
• In the Best Interests of Your Child - Overview of Child Protection Cases (27 min.) (Children's Justice Initiative)
• Introduction to Hennepin County Juvenile Court: What to Expect (9 min.)
• Juvenile Delinquency Process - Overview for Parents (11 min.) (Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative)

Other

• Going to Court in Minnesota (27 min.) (English, Hmong, Somali, Spanish, and for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing)
• Video Guide to Administrative Hearings (8 min.) (MN Office of Administrative Hearings) (state agency is separate from the Minnesota Judicial Branch)
• Guardianship and Conservatorship Educational Video (34 min.)
• Information about Self Help Centers (7 min.)
• Legal Language 101 - General overview of legal terminology (Video from the National Center for State Courts)
• Navigating the Court System Without a Lawyer - General overview of going to court (Video from the National Center for State Courts)
• Filing Motions - General overview of a motion and the motion filing process (Video from the National Center for State Courts)
• Legal Advice vs. Legal Information (Video from the National Center for State Courts)
• The who, what, when, where and how of state courts (Video from the National Center for State Courts)
• Understanding the Difference Between Civil and Criminal Cases (Video from the National Center for State Courts)
• Understanding Court Papers: What to Do After Being Served (Video from the National Center for State Courts)
• Decoding Court Jargon: Understanding Common Procedural Terms (Video from the National Center for State Courts)
• Harassment Court Procedure (6 mins.) (Created for Hennepin County District Court).  Also available in Spanish.