A Simple Breakdown of Westlaw and LexisNexis (and Why You Should Use Them)

Westlaw and LexisNexis are two of the top legal research tools used by attorneys, judges, and law students. They include case law, statutes, regulations, legal articles, and practical guides that explain how the law actually works.

While these platforms are normally expensive, many universities, public law libraries, and courthouse self-help centers offer completely free access. You don’t need to be a student or lawyer to use them.

My Experience as a Pro Se Litigant

As someone representing myself, I’ve spent countless hours on Westlaw at no cost. I’ve used free access at two universities and have been able to print or save nearly anything I needed.

Even if you have an attorney, these resources are incredibly valuable. One of the best places to start is the "Family Law Practice Series" for your state. It’s organized, easy to read, and gives you a clear roadmap of how cases progress. Honestly, it feels like a lawyer’s manual for regular people.

Why This Matters

Westlaw often contains detailed explanations that attorneys don’t always share, either because they assume it’s too complex or because they bill you heavily for the time it takes to explain.

For example, some states allow a parent to request an itemized breakdown of a child’s needs for child-support calculations. But Westlaw also explains why requesting this is usually discouraged: once everything is added up, the total amount may be higher than what you’re currently paying.

This is the kind of “behind-the-scenes” information you won’t find on Google, yet it’s easily accessible in these databases.

In Plain Terms

Think of Westlaw and LexisNexis as super-charged legal search engines. You type in keywords or questions, and they return the most relevant cases and statutes.

Using these tools also helped me understand how attorneys manage so many cases. These platforms do a lot of the heavy lifting, which made me question how deeply some lawyers actually dig into each case. It is similar to how most of us rarely look past page two of Google.

A Practical Call to Action

Find out where you can access these tools for free. Start with major universities or public law libraries.

Once you’re there, download what you need and build your own private reference library. Law firms pay huge amounts for these subscriptions, and there is a reason they prefer the public to stay unaware of how much information is available.

When you call your attorney with a question, there’s a good chance they’re simply paraphrasing something they found on Westlaw.