Kara Sears
If you need to file a family law case in Los Angeles County, you can access free legal help and self-help services. The Los Angeles Superior Court offers legal help for family law cases, including custody or visitation mediation services. Family law cases can be electronically filed through an electronic filing service provider (EFSP), and the Los Angeles Superior Court website provides information on mandatory electronic filing for family law. The EFSP manages the flow of documents and fees to and from the court, and a document is not considered filed until it is accepted. The Los Angeles Superior Court also has Self-Help Centers and family law facilitators who can assist with court forms and procedures, although they cannot provide legal advice or representation.
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What You'll Learn
Los Angeles Superior Court Family Law Division
The Los Angeles Superior Court offers legal help for family law cases, including those involving child, spousal, and partner support problems. The court's website is in English, but Google Translate can be used for translation into other languages. It is important to note that the translation may not always be exact.
The Los Angeles Superior Court Family Law Division provides mediation services to individuals with family law actions for custody or visitation in Los Angeles County. The office is located at 111 N. Hill St., Los Angeles, CA 90012, and is open from Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Appointments are available at 7:45 am, 9:45 am, 12:45 pm, and 2:45 pm, and the office can be reached by phone during these hours.
For those representing themselves in family law cases, the Los Angeles Superior Court offers assistance through its Family Law Facilitator Offices. Family Law Facilitators are lawyers or paralegals with experience in family law who provide free legal help. They can assist with preparing court forms and offer general information, but they cannot represent individuals in court. The Los Angeles Superior Court also has Self-Help Centers that offer free legal workshops for divorce, paternity, probate, guardianship, and conservatorships. These centers are supervised by attorneys and provide assistance with completing court forms and understanding court procedures.
In terms of filing procedures, the Los Angeles Superior Court Family Law Division primarily accepts electronic filing of court documents through an Electronic Filing Service Provider (EFSP). Litigants represented by attorneys in family law cases must e-file unless they obtain a court order for exemption. Confidential child custody evaluation reports may be e-filed, although doctors are not required to do so. It is important to note that a document is not considered filed until it is accepted by the court, and any rejection by the court will include the reason for the return.
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Filing a new family case
If you are looking to file a new family case in Los Angeles County, there are a few things you should know. Firstly, all courts in California offer free legal help to people who do not have a lawyer. This help is available regardless of your income. However, it is important to note that the lawyers who provide this service work for the court, so there is no attorney-client privilege, and they cannot give legal advice or represent you in court.
In Los Angeles County, the Superior Court offers legal help for people representing themselves in family law cases. This includes assistance with court forms and procedures, as well as workshops for divorce, paternity, probate, guardianship, and conservatorships. The court also provides mediation services for people with family law actions for custody or visitation.
When filing a new family case, you may be able to file your court documents electronically through an Electronic Filing Service Provider (EFSP). You will need to create an account with an EFSP and submit your documents to them for submission to the court. The court will then accept or reject the documents. If your document is rejected, you will need to correct the issue and resubmit. Please note that a document is not considered filed until it is accepted by the court.
For more information on filing a new family case in Los Angeles County, you can refer to the Los Angeles Superior Court website or contact the family law facilitator in your county.
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Free legal help and self-help programs
The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) provides free legal aid and self-help services for those living in poverty in Los Angeles. They offer direct representation, systems change, and community education. LAFLA operates on a sliding scale, with services available to those with incomes less than 125% of the federal poverty guidelines, although those with higher incomes may still qualify. They can be contacted by phone or online, or in person at one of their offices or clinics.
LAFLA offers self-help services through workshops, individual assistance, and user-friendly computer programs. They provide legal information and assistance with pleadings, and self-represented litigants can have their pleadings reviewed by an attorney. LAFLA offers workshops for eviction answers and trial prep, family law (including divorce and paternity), and record expungement. These workshops are offered in several languages, including English and Spanish. LAFLA also has four Self-Help Legal Access Centres with how-to guides for filling out civil court forms for the Los Angeles Superior Court.
LAFLA also has a volunteer program, which does not require legal knowledge or expertise. Volunteers need to fill out an application form and attend a short interview.
In addition to LAFLA, the Los Angeles County Superior Court offers free mediation services for people with a family law action for custody or visitation. The court also has a Self-Help Center that provides free legal help to those without a lawyer, although the help provided is not confidential and staff cannot give legal advice or attend court.
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Mediation services for custody or visitation
In Los Angeles County, the Family Court Services program provides mediation services to people with a family law action for custody or visitation pending. The mediation process involves the review of an intake or information form and your court file, if available. The process is intended to help the parties develop a parenting plan that protects the health, safety, welfare, and best interests of the child or children involved in the custody dispute. While the mediation appointment is mandatory, you are not required to agree to anything you are not comfortable with. Mediators are assigned to the case to help facilitate a parenting plan, but you can choose to proceed to a hearing on the issue of custody and visitations if you are not willing to accept the terms of the agreement.
In Orange County, Family Court Services (FCS) provides similar mediation and investigation services to families. Specially trained Court Mediators are available to work with families to resolve issues related to the custody of their children. FCS also oversees the Keeping Kids Safe Program, which provides supervised visitation services for children and their parents through community partners.
It is important to note that court mediators are not attorneys and cannot advise on legal practices or procedures. They can, however, answer questions about the court process. You are not required to have an attorney to participate in the mediation process, but it is recommended that you consult with an attorney to prepare for mediation. You can also refer to parenting plans, such as the Orange County Parenting Guidelines, to help you determine a schedule that meets the needs of your children.
To schedule an informal mediation appointment in Orange County, you can call 657-622-6196. For mediation services in Los Angeles County, you must have a pending court hearing or be in the process of filing for a hearing, and you can contact the Los Angeles Child Custody Mediation office at (213) 974-5524.
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E-filing and document submission
The Los Angeles Superior Court supports eFiling for various case types, including civil, criminal, family law, and probate. To e-file documents, users typically need to register with authorized eFiling service providers (EFSPs) approved by the court. These service providers act as intermediaries between the filers and the court, facilitating the secure submission of documents and ensuring compliance with eFiling rules.
One such EFSP is CourtFiling.net. To use this platform, you will need to input account information such as your payment method. If you already have login credentials for another EFSP, you can use them to log in to CourtFiling.net. Once your account is set up, you can choose to eFile on an existing case or initiate a new case filing. Self-represented litigants are not mandated to eFile but may find it the easiest option as they can file from their own computers. However, lawyers and those represented by lawyers must eFile.
If scanning documents to submit, the Los Angeles Superior Court recommends a resolution of 300 DPI (dots per inch). Otherwise, a text-searchable PDF is the required document format. If including a signature from an opposing party, the original document must be scanned to be submitted with said signature. However, if documents require the filer’s signature, they may use “/s + name” to note their electronic signature.
Your paperwork is officially filed and available for the opposing party to view once it is accepted by the county clerk. If your documents are rejected, they are not officially filed. File stamps on processed and accepted eFiled documents are located at the top of the first page of a document.
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Frequently asked questions
Information on how to file a family law case in LA County can be found on the Los Angeles Superior Court website. The website also provides access to the EFSP (Electronic Filing Service Provider) where you can submit your documents.
The Los Angeles Superior Court offers free legal help and self-help programs for family law cases. The court also provides access to a family law facilitator who can help with preparing court forms and give general information. The EFSP manages the flow of documents and fees to and from the court.
Some reasons for rejection include incorrect information in data fields, peremptory challenges or challenges for cause of a judicial officer, and documents submitted conditionally under seal. A Notice of Rejection will include the reason for the return of the document, and you can then correct the deficiency and resubmit.
