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Civil FAQs

You can obtain case information online at our Case Information Portal . You can search by case number, party name, etc.

If you come into Court and have our staff do the search, you must provide the Case Number, Case Name, Title of the document(s) requested, and File Date of the document(s). See the Local Fee Schedule ("Records Related Fees" section) for research fees if you are unable to provide all of these items, and for copy fees.

Copies of the pleadings must be obtained at the courthouse in which the case was filed, either in person or by mailing a request with a self addressed stamped envelope to return the documents.

Click to see  courthouse locations and contact information page which includes our mailing address. If you make the request by mail, make your check payable to the Superior Court.

If the fee is unknown, you can write a check leaving the amount blank, but indicate in the dollar section "Not to exceed" $5.00, $10.00, etc. depending on the anticipated cost.

You'll need to provide the following:

  • case number,
  • the full names of the parties,
  • title(s) of the document(s) requested, and
  • the date the document(s) was filed, if known.

Click to visit the the California Court of Appeals website .

You can also see the Appeals section of the "After the Trial" page and the Appellate Division page on this website.

The debtors discharge in Bankruptcy needs to be filed under the case number in the particular court that the judgment was originally entered.

For credit purposes, you would show the lender your discharge with a list of debtors.

You may also want to refer to the federal website on bankruptcy .

See the document How to Dismiss Your Case , and use the forms linked to the document.

Civil Assessment has to do with traffic and criminal violations. It is not part of the civil section of the website.

Traffic Violations: Two pages in the traffic section of this website contain information on civil assessment for traffic violations. Click to visit the Traffic Payment FAQ on civil assessment, and the Traffic "Failure to Appear" page.

Criminal Violations: For civil assessment on criminal violations, see the civil assessment information near the bottom of the Paying Fines page in the Self-Help Criminal section of this website.

Forms

Fees

Rules of Court

The Rules of Court are procedures the Court requires parties to follow when they start a Court case. Counties may have Local Rules of Court in addition to the State Rules of Court.

See the page on Civil Harassment in the Restraining Order Self-Help section of this website

Other FAQ pages: