How do I determine what type is appropriate if all I have is a party's name?

Court documents, particularly complaints, answers, and court opinions, often will specify who a given party is –- typically right near the beginning of the document. If you do not have these documents or if they are not helpful, you could try searching their name via Google or other search engines. Be careful to make sure that the search result you find is the same as the party involved in your situation.