Halachipedia:General disclaimer

Do not be discouraged by the bredth and length of halacha

1. Even though Halacha can be enormous it's important not to loose sight of the goal. A person must be familiar with the basic laws that are relevant everyday like brachot, prayer, and Shabbat. If one doesn't know the basics in these areas it's impossible to endeavor to keep halacha by merely watching others or guessing based on instinct. It is highly advisable to find a simple book that outlines halacha (or this website) and set-up a schedule of study to allow one to study on a regular basis.

Your question may not be the same as the general halacha

1. The purpose of this website is definitely not to replace questions to your local rabbi. The website is supposed to provide the English-speaking Jewish community with summaries of the relevant halachot. Clearly, the site doesn't always provide answers to your specific question and for that it's important to either learn the halachot thorough in the sources or to ask you local rabbi. Many times a single factor that applies in your case can change the halacha from permitted to forbidden or the opposite.

We do not decide the halacha in cases where there is a major dispute in the contemporaries

1. There are a plethora of Halachot that have major disputes between the contemporary authorities. It's crucial to note that it's not the place of this site to arbitrate between two major poskim or gedolei hador. Therefore in the event of dispute it's important to either consult your local rabbi, or to choose one opinion and consistently follow that opinion. It is certainly improper to simply choose to be lenient or stringent in every dispute because of lack of knowledge. Rather one must appoint for oneself and family a rabbi, whether it's a local one or a book that one can consult and adhere without fail.