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The Superior Court of California,
County of Orange

Attention: CLICK HERE for all court information, policies and
procedures relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Home » Self Help

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Self-Help Services are available to individuals without an attorney. We provide legal information and procedural assistance on the case types listed below. We do not provide legal advice.

To get help by e-mail, click on the blue banner at the top and complete the online form (available in English and Spanish).

We also provide limited in-person assistance at two of our locations.

CENTRAL JUSTICE CENTER (Santa Ana)

We provide in-person assistance for civil issues, including small claims, residential evictions, probate, as well as criminal
and traffic issues.
Current hours of operation:

Monday – Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Friday 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

LAMOREAUX JUSTICE CENTER (Orange)

We provide in-person assistance for family law matters. Due to long wait times, we strongly encourage you to make
an appointment by visiting: tinyurl.com/SHLJCappointment.
Current hours of operation:

Monday – Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (APPOINTMENTS ONLY)
Friday 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Please click on the appropriate Team name below (left column) for more information about our services. Note that phone assistance is only available for certain case types as noted below.

Family Law Self-Help Team	To schedule an in-person appointment at the Lamoreaux Justice Center, click here. *No phone hours until further notice
Facilitator’s Office Self-Help Team Must have pending Department of Child Support Services case	657-622-5077
Civil Self-Help Team Criminal / Traffic Self-Help Team	See above for walk-in assistance at the Central Justice Center. *No phone hours until further notice
Probate Self-Help Team	657-622-7170
Landlord / Tenant Self-Help Team	657-622-5887 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. only

Court Workshops
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic our in-person workshops have been suspended until further notice. We are currently offering remote workshops that do not require you to come to Court. For current information regarding our workshops click here.

Domestic Violence Restraining Orders
For assistance with Domestic Violence Restraining Order Requests, please contact the Domestic Violence Assistance Program: dvap@waymakersoc.org or 657-221-5416.

Civil Harassment Restraining Orders
Self-Help Services’ Civil Team is available to assist at the Center Justice Center; see above for hours of assistance. You can also contact us by submitting an online request form by clicking on the blue banner at the top of this page. When completing the online request form, make sure to select the box for restraining order assistance and we will respond by e-mail within one court day.

Elder Abuse Restraining Orders, Guardianships and Conservatorships
Self-Help Services’ Probate Team is available to assist at the Central Justice Center, or by phone at 657-622-7170.

Forms
For state and local court forms: https://www.occourts.org/forms/forms.html .

For Self-Help form packets for common case types: https://www.occourts.org/self-help/formpackets/shforms.html.

Self-Help's Informational Videos
Self-Help Services also has several "How Do I" videos. They can be viewed at:
https://www.occourts.org/self-help/resources/shhowdoi.html.

3 EASY STEPS

Answer simple questions online to prepare your case forms.
Automatically create legal documents.
File your case online.*

*Note that Divorce, Separation, Nullity, Restraining Orders, and Income and Expense Declaration forms / cases can be e-filed with the Court after completing the module.
For other case types, you may be able to file by e-mail, in-person (by appointment only), or by drop-box. Please make sure to check the Court's website for filing options during the pandemic: https://www.occourts.org/media-relations/CoronaVirusUpdate.html

For the best user experience, open the Guide & File links below using Google Chrome *