Superior Court
The Los Angeles County Superior Court handles a wide range of legal matters, including civil disputes, criminal cases, family law proceedings, juvenile cases, probate matters, small claims, traffic citations, appeals, and certain mental health proceedings. This article explains how to identify the correct court service, locate a courthouse, search for case information, prepare for filing, make a clerk’s office appointment, obtain self-help assistance, manage hearing reminders, and avoid common errors when using court systems.
Court Services and Case Types
The Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles operates courthouses throughout the county and provides both in-person and online services. The appropriate service depends on the type of case, the courthouse assigned to the matter, and the action a person needs to take.
The official Los Angeles County Superior Court website is the central starting point for case access, court documents, courthouse locations, forms, filing services, remote hearings, interpreter requests, hearing reminders, self-help services, and general court information.
Appellate Cases
Appellate services provide information for people filing or responding to an appeal. An appeal is separate from the original trial or hearing and follows its own filing and review process. A person dealing with an appeal should confirm that the selected form, filing option, courthouse, and case number relate to the appellate matter rather than the original case.
Civil Cases
Civil cases generally involve disputes between private parties. Examples identified by the court include lawsuits, evictions, and collection matters. Civil cases may be limited, unlimited, or complex, and the filing options can differ among these categories. The court provides electronic filing information for civil cases, although special procedures may apply to small claims and complex civil matters.
Criminal Cases
Criminal cases concern offenses classified as infractions, misdemeanors, or felonies. A criminal court case number should not be confused with a law enforcement booking number. Court case access, courthouse assignments, hearing information, and criminal record procedures are handled through court systems, while custody and booking information are maintained through separate law enforcement systems.
The court’s online criminal record request portal is intended for government agencies making official requests. Requests submitted through that portal by individuals or nongovernmental agencies are not fulfilled. Members of the public should instead use the court’s public case access and court record options applicable to their situation.
Family Law Cases
Family law services cover divorce, legal separation, annulment, child custody, visitation, child support, spousal support, parentage, and restraining orders. Family law cases are assigned to departments in several court districts, including Central, East, North, North Valley, Northeast, Northwest, South Central, South, Southeast, Southwest, and West.
Because family law departments and judicial assignments may change, users should verify the current department before filing documents, attending a hearing, or contacting a courtroom. The courthouse name alone may not be enough. The case number, department number, hearing date, and type of proceeding are all useful when confirming an assignment.
Juvenile Cases
Juvenile matters generally involve children under 18. The court separates juvenile dependency proceedings from juvenile justice proceedings. These cases may be assigned to specialized courthouses, including the Edmund D. Edelman Children’s Courthouse, the Alfred J. McCourtney Juvenile Justice Center Courthouse, the Inglewood Juvenile Courthouse, and the Sylmar Juvenile Courthouse.
People using the courthouse locator or appointment system should identify whether the matter is juvenile dependency or juvenile justice. Selecting only a general juvenile category without confirming the case division may lead to the wrong courthouse or appointment type.
Mental Health Cases
The Mental Health Division handles proceedings involving mental health disorders and related legal issues. Mental health matters may be assigned to specific courthouses or specialized departments. The court also provides electronic filing information for certain facility-based mental health hearings.
Probate Cases
Probate matters include decedents’ estates, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, and minor’s compromises. Probate users may also have access to online probate notes. Those notes can help identify issues raised during the court’s review, but users should verify the current case information and hearing details through the official court system.
Small Claims Cases
Small claims court handles civil disputes involving $12,500 or less. The court offers self-help information for preparing a claim and a Digital Evidence System for evidence connected to eligible scheduled small claims hearings.
Small claims electronic evidence is different from electronic filing. Uploading evidence to the Digital Evidence System does not file a complaint, answer, request, or other court document. Court documents must be filed through the applicable filing procedure.
Traffic Cases
Traffic cases involve citations or tickets issued by law enforcement officers for traffic and non-traffic offenses. Court services may allow a person to review citation information, make a payment, arrange a court appearance, or obtain information about traffic school. The correct procedure depends on the citation and the court handling it.
Case Information and Records
The court provides several record-related services, including case access, court document access, transcripts and recordings, and requests for other court records. These services are related but are not interchangeable.
Case Number Searches
A case number is the most direct way to identify a court matter. It may be required for hearing reminders, digital evidence registration, courthouse assistance, document access, and communication with court staff.
Before entering a case number, check that it belongs to the correct proceeding. An appeal may have a different case record from the original hearing, and a criminal case number is different from a custody booking number. A traffic citation number may also follow a process separate from a civil or family law case number.
Name Search Limitations
A person who does not have a case number may be able to conduct a name search through the court’s website. The Hearing Reminder Service information states that name searches for criminal and non-criminal cases may require a fee. A name search should be used through the correct criminal or non-criminal search option.
Names should be entered as accurately as possible. Similar names can produce records for different people, so users should compare available case details before relying on a result.
Documents and Record Copies
Accessing a case does not necessarily provide every document or record connected to it. The court separates case information from court documents, transcripts and recordings, and copies of other court records. A user should select the service that matches the item needed rather than assuming that a general case search will produce a certified copy, transcript, recording, or archived record.
Older files and certain records may be handled through the Archives and Records Center. The court’s appointment system includes Archives and Records as an appointment location for supported case categories.
Choosing the Correct Courthouse
Los Angeles County has many courthouses, and not every location handles every case type. The court’s courthouse locator and appointment system identify services available at individual locations. Some courthouses handle several divisions, while others focus on criminal, juvenile, mental health, traffic, or another limited group of matters.
Case Assignment Controls Location
A courthouse should be selected based on the case assignment or filing rules, not simply because it is the closest building. For an existing case, review the courthouse name, department, and hearing information shown in the case record or court notice.
For a new filing, use the court’s filing locator and the information for the applicable case type. Filing in the wrong courthouse can create delays and may require the filer to redirect documents to the assigned location.
Services Differ by Courthouse
The clerk’s office appointment system displays available appointment categories after a courthouse is selected. Categories may include appellate, civil, criminal, family law, juvenile dependency, juvenile justice, probate, small claims, traffic, mental health, or archives and records.
A courthouse appearing in the system does not mean every appointment type is offered there. Users should choose the courthouse first and then confirm that the required service appears before scheduling.
Department Numbers Matter
Large courthouses may have many departments handling similar case types. Stanley Mosk Courthouse, for example, has numerous family law departments for general matters, case management, dedicated trials, child support proceedings, settlements, and restraining orders.
The court introduced a new department numbering system at Stanley Mosk Courthouse beginning May 4, 2026. Anyone using an older notice, saved contact, or previous department number should verify the current assignment through the official court website before appearing or filing department-specific materials.
Clerk’s Office Appointments
The court allows users to schedule a clerk’s office appointment online. The scheduling process begins with selecting a courthouse and then choosing from the appointment types offered at that location.
Information to Prepare
Before opening the appointment system, gather the information needed to select the correct location and service:
The complete court case number, if a case has already been filed.
The assigned courthouse shown on the case record or court notice.
The case type, such as civil, criminal, family law, probate, juvenile, small claims, or traffic.
The specific clerk’s office service or record request involved.
The department number when the request relates to a scheduled hearing or assigned courtroom.
The online appointment session can time out after a period of inactivity. Having the information ready reduces the chance that the session will expire before scheduling is completed.
Appointment Selection Errors
A common mistake is choosing a courthouse based only on city or convenience. Another is selecting a broad case category that does not match the actual division, such as juvenile dependency instead of juvenile justice. Users should compare the case notice and online case information with the courthouse and appointment type before confirming.
Self-Help Court Services
The Los Angeles Superior Court Self-Help Center assists people who need to proceed without an attorney. The service catalog covers many common court matters and provides information about forms, procedures, and appointments for additional assistance.
Available Self-Help Topics
Self-help services include assistance or information involving:
Evictions and unlawful detainers.
Divorce, legal separation, and annulment.
Child custody and visitation.
Child support and parentage.
Guardianships and conservatorships.
Adoption.
Name or gender changes.
Small claims.
Traffic matters.
Wills, estates, and trusts.
Consumer debt.
CARE Court.
Gun violence restraining orders.
The self-help website also identifies in-person locations and hours and provides appointment options for services offered remotely. Users should choose the service that matches the exact court matter because forms and procedures for one case type may not apply to another.
Family Law Form Assistance
Family law self-help materials cover petitions, responses, default judgments, stipulated judgments, trial preparation, restraining orders, requests involving custody or support, responsive declarations, changes of address, hearing rescheduling, fee waiver information, dismissal requests, service of process, and financial disclosure forms.
Self-help assistance supports people representing themselves, but it does not change filing deadlines, evidence requirements, service obligations, or court orders. Users remain responsible for reviewing the instructions connected to their forms and case.
Electronic Filing Requirements
The court’s official electronic filing information explains how attorneys and self-represented litigants can submit documents electronically. Electronic filing may be available at any time from a location with internet access, but the applicable rules depend on the case division.
Supported Filing Categories
The court provides separate electronic filing information for adoptions, appellate matters, CARE Court, civil cases, complex civil cases, family law, juvenile dependency, mental health facility-based hearings, probate, and small claims. Users should open the page for the correct litigation category rather than relying on general filing instructions from another division.
Confidential Information
Many filed documents may be viewed by the public through the court’s website or at a courthouse. Filers are responsible for removing or redacting confidential identifiers before submitting documents.
For documents placed in a public court file, Social Security numbers should generally be omitted. When inclusion is required, only the last four digits may be used. Financial account numbers should also be omitted or limited to the last four digits when they must appear. Sanctions may be imposed when protected Social Security or financial information is included improperly.
Filing Versus Evidence Uploads
Electronic filing sends documents to the court for filing. The Digital Evidence System is restricted to uploading evidence for supported scheduled small claims hearings. Uploading an image or document as an exhibit does not cause that item to be filed as a pleading, claim, response, or request.
Remote Hearings and Reminders
The court states that most hearings may be attended remotely through LACourtConnect using a computer or phone. Users should locate the specific hearing and follow the remote appearance instructions associated with it. A remote hearing should not be assumed merely because another hearing in the same courthouse was conducted remotely.
Hearing Reminder Service
The Hearing Reminder Service allows litigants, attorneys, law enforcement personnel, and members of the public to schedule email or text reminders for public hearings.
Reminders may be requested two weeks before a hearing, two days before a hearing, or at both intervals. There is no court fee to register for reminders, although a wireless carrier may charge standard rates for text messages.
A court case number is required. A person who does not know the case number must first locate it through the appropriate court search. Hearing reminders are a convenience and should be used together with the official case calendar and court notices.
Attorney Portal Services
The Los Angeles Superior Court Attorney Portal provides attorneys with centralized access to supported court services. Validated attorneys may access assigned cases, electronic documents, purchased documents, case-following features, transaction history, and upcoming hearings.
The portal also permits attorneys to authorize delegates to access case records on their behalf. Attorney Portal support is limited to portal-related questions and should not be used as a substitute for contacting the courthouse about the substance of a case.
Interpreters, Language, and Access
The court provides interpreter request services, language access information, and accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. These services are separate from automated translation of the court website.
Automated Website Translation
The official language of the Los Angeles Superior Court website is English. Automated translations are approximations and may contain inaccuracies. Some applications, files, photographs, graphs, and portable document files may not be translated.
Users relying on translated website content should compare critical details with the English version, particularly case numbers, dates, deadlines, department assignments, form names, and filing instructions.
Court Interpreter Requests
An interpreter request concerns language assistance for court proceedings. It is different from translating a webpage or completing an English-language description in an online portal. Interpreter information and request options should be reviewed for the applicable hearing and case type.
Disability Accommodations
The court provides information about access under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Accommodation requests should be made through the court’s designated process and should identify the proceeding, courthouse, and assistance required.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Los Angeles Superior Court alternative dispute resolution services may help parties resolve certain civil, family law, and probate cases without a trial. Available approaches include negotiation, mediation, settlement conferences, and arbitration.
Mediation and Negotiation
Negotiation allows parties or their attorneys to discuss settlement directly. Mediation adds a neutral third party who helps the participants work toward a mutually acceptable resolution. The mediator does not serve the same role as the judge assigned to decide the case at trial.
Settlement Conferences
A settlement conference involves a judge or qualified settlement officer who assists the parties in evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the case and negotiating a possible resolution. In some cases, the parties may request a voluntary settlement conference.
Arbitration Differences
Arbitration is less formal than a trial. The parties present evidence and arguments to an arbitrator who decides the outcome. In binding arbitration, the decision is final and there is no right to a trial. In nonbinding arbitration, a party may request a trial after the arbitrator’s decision.
Small Claims Digital Evidence
The Small Claims Digital Evidence System allows eligible litigants to upload, share, view, and present evidence for a specific hearing. Use of the system is encouraged but is not mandatory.
Account Information Required
To create an account and locate a scheduled hearing, a user should have:
The small claims case number.
The name of a party to the case.
A current or future hearing date.
An email address or cell phone number.
The user identifies the case by entering the case number and hearing date and then follows the registration prompts. A Digital Evidence System account is separate from accounts used for Online Dispute Resolution or LACourtConnect.
Ten-Day Evidence Rule
Evidence intended to support a party’s position must be shared with the opposing party and the court at least 10 days before the hearing. When the uploader has the opposing party’s email address, evidence uploaded through the system can be shared electronically.
When the opposing party’s email address is unavailable, the evidence may still be uploaded for the court, but the uploader must also mail it to the opposing party at least 10 days before the hearing. Failure to exchange evidence in advance may result in the court refusing to consider it or continuing the hearing to permit an exchange.
Preparing Individual Exhibits
Each photograph or document should be uploaded as an individual exhibit with a brief English description. After submission, the system assigns a unique exhibit number. The party should refer to that number when presenting the item during the hearing.
Evidence may be uploaded during multiple sessions, but all items must meet the advance submission requirement. The uploader can reorder exhibits during the upload process. Once the upload is confirmed and submitted, further editing is not permitted.
Removing Incorrect Uploads
An item can be deleted during the upload stage before final submission. Once evidence has been successfully submitted, it cannot be removed from the portal until the case is completed. A person who uploads evidence under the wrong party may submit the applicable Request for Court Order and Answer form asking the court to reassign it.
Sharing Confirmation
When evidence is shared successfully, the portal displays a confirmation and notifies the receiving party. This confirmation is the uploader’s record that the sharing step was completed. A recipient viewing shared evidence receives a link to the Virtual Viewing Room and a separate message containing the required PIN.
Continued Hearings and Appeals
If a hearing is continued to a future date for the same hearing type, uploaded evidence may move to the new date. Case updates may take up to 72 hours to appear. Users should verify the new hearing date and exhibits in the Court Hearings panel and upload additional evidence only when permitted by the advance exchange requirements.
An appeal is a new and separate hearing. Evidence from the original trial does not automatically carry over. Any evidence that a party wants considered during the appeal must be uploaded and shared again under the applicable evidence exchange requirements.
Evidence After the Hearing
After a case is marked completed, the uploader receives notice that the evidence will be purged. Evidence remains available for download for up to 60 days after notification. After that period, it is removed from the portal.
Browser and Upload Problems
The Digital Evidence System recommends Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. Safari is not compatible. A desktop or laptop provides a better viewing experience, although a phone with internet access and access to the required files may be used.
An incomplete upload may result from a timed-out session, refreshing the page, or using the browser’s back button before completing every step. Users should verify that the correct case appears in the Court Hearings panel and that the exhibits are visible in the gallery.
Common Court System Mistakes
Several errors can delay a court-related task or direct a user to the wrong service:
Using a booking number when the court service requires a case number.
Selecting a nearby courthouse instead of the assigned courthouse.
Choosing juvenile dependency when the matter is juvenile justice, or the reverse.
Uploading evidence when the intended action is filing a court document.
Assuming that a general case search provides certified copies, transcripts, or archived records.
Submitting sensitive identifiers in documents that may become part of the public court file.
Relying on an older courtroom or department number without verifying a recent reassignment.
Treating an approximate family law hearing date as a reservation or guaranteed date.
Waiting until the hearing date to exchange small claims evidence.
Assuming evidence from an original hearing automatically transfers to an appeal.
Depending only on an automated hearing reminder instead of reviewing official notices and case information.
Superior Court Offices and Departments
Stanley Mosk Courthouse, Family Law Department 215
111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 633-0252
Metropolitan Courthouse, Family Law Department 65
1945 South Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007
(213) 745-1865
Pomona Courthouse South, Family Law Department B
400 Civic Center Plaza, Pomona, CA 91766
(909) 802-1112
Michael D. Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse, Family Law Department A11
42011 4th Street West, Lancaster, CA 93534
(661) 483-5511
Chatsworth Courthouse, Family Law Department F40
9425 Penfield Avenue, Chatsworth, CA 91311
(818) 407-2240
Pasadena Courthouse, Family Law Department K
300 East Walnut Street, Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 396-3355
Van Nuys Courthouse East, Family Law Department J
6230 Sylmar Avenue, Van Nuys, CA 91401
(818) 901-4605
Compton Courthouse, Family Law Department 1
200 West Compton Boulevard, Compton, CA 90220
(310) 761-7982
Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse, Family Law Department S14
275 Magnolia Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 256-1475
Whittier Courthouse, Family Law Department 102
7339 South Painter Avenue, Whittier, CA 90602
(562) 968-2701
Torrance Courthouse, Family Law Department 11
825 Maple Avenue, Torrance, CA 90503
(310) 787-3711
Santa Monica Courthouse, Family Law Department D
1725 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 255-2483
Superior Court FAQs
Does the court date calculator include holidays?
The court’s date calculator considers California court holidays when counting court days before or after a selected date. This can help with basic scheduling calculations, but users should still review the governing statute, rule, court order, and filing instructions for their case. Some deadlines are counted in calendar days rather than court days, and additional time may apply depending on how a document was served. Access the calculator and related court services through the official Los Angeles Superior Court website.
How can I verify a courtroom or judge?
Use the court’s online Courtroom Directory, Judicial Officer Search, and case information services. Compare the courthouse, department number, hearing date, and case number shown online with the most recent court notice. This is especially important after a judicial assignment change or courtroom renumbering. An older filing, saved calendar entry, or previous hearing notice may no longer reflect the current assignment.
Where are probate notes and tentative rulings posted?
The court provides separate online services for Probate Notes and Tentative Rulings. Select the service that matches the case division, then confirm the case number, hearing date, and assigned department before relying on the result. Probate notes may identify issues requiring attention before a probate hearing, while tentative rulings provide preliminary information issued for supported matters. Neither service should be confused with the complete case docket, a filed order, or a final ruling entered after the hearing.
Why did the appointment page log me out?
The clerk’s office appointment system times out after a period without activity. Before beginning, have the case number, assigned courthouse, case category, and requested service ready. A current version of Chrome or Firefox may provide better compatibility. If the system shows no appointment types, confirm that a courthouse has been selected and that the location offers the required service.
Can self-represented litigants get form help?
People proceeding without an attorney can use the court’s official Self-Help Center for guidance involving supported matters such as evictions, custody, support, guardianships, conservatorships, consumer debt, and name changes. Users should choose the exact service category because forms and procedures differ by case type.