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Welcome to the Civil Division Pages for the Superior Court of California, County of Tuolumne. The Civil Division of the Superior Court of California, County of Tuolumne, helps people with the following legal issues:
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.* Monday – Friday
(except holidays) *The Clerk’s Office is open from 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. for emergency filings only. The Civil Division Clerk’s Office is located on the 2nd floor of the Historic Courthouse, 41 West Yaney Avenue, Sonora, CA, 95370. Mailing address: 41 West Yaney Avenue, Sonora, CA, 95370. Phone: (209) 533-5555 “Civil” cases involve violation of private rights rather than violation of criminal law. A civil matter involves a lawsuit in which one party sues another to recover money or property, to enforce a contract or an obligation, to collect damages for injury or to protect some civil right. Civil cases are filed in the Clerk’s Office. A Civil Limited case is filed when a party is seeking no more than $25,000 in monetary or punitive damages. A Civil Unlimited case is filed when a party is seeking more than $25,000 in monetary or punitive damages. All appropriate Civil Unlimited and Civil Limited cases are subject to the Delay Reduction Rules of Court.
To see the most current Tentative Rulings, click here.
Other types of civil cases include name changes for adults and children, elder abuse, civil harassment, unlawful detainer cases, and small claims matters.
Filing fees are listed in the fee schedule.
To speak with the civil clerk, please call 209-533-5555. Packets for most of these case types can be purchased in the Clerk’s Office, or you can go on line and fill out printable forms by clicking below.
The Probate Division of the Superior Court handles cases involving a decedent's estate; trust issues; conservatorships; guardianships; spousal property succession of real property; minor's approval by the Court of the terms of an agreement to settle a claim by a child, usually involving an injury (Minors’ Compromise); as well as other matters that may arise under the Probate Code. In appropriate cases, the Court will appoint personal representatives, oversee the distribution of the decedents' estates, oversee trust administration, appoint guardians and conservators, and review accountings of the guardians. To speak with a clerk regarding Probate cases, please call 209-533-5555. Filing fees are listed in the fee schedule. For assistance with filling out you forms on line, click on the EZLegalFile link below.
Guardianship cases are filed in the Clerk’s Office, and usually involve the appointment of a person to oversee the finances and/or care of a child whose parents are unable to care for the child. To speak with a clerk regarding Guardianship cases, please call 209-533-5555. Filing fees are listed in the fee schedule. Guardianship forms are available online for your convenience, or you can purchase a packet in the clerk’s office. Mediation services are available to parties involved in guardianship cases filed with this Court. The mediators can assist parties with visitation schedules. Mediation services are non-recommending, which means the mediator does not testify in Court or write any recommendation to the Court. To speak to a clerk regarding mediation, please call 209-533-5555. You can fill out printable forms by clicking below. Additional resources: Conservatorship cases are filed in the Clerk’s Office, and usually involve the appointment of a person to oversee the finances and/or care of an older adult or a developmentally disabled adult who cannot care for his or her self. To speak with a clerk regarding Conservatorship cases, please call 209-533-5555. Filing fees are listed in the fee schedule. Conservatorship forms are available online for your convenience, or you can purchase a packet in the clerk’s office. You can fill out printable forms by clicking below. Additional resources: Elder abuse cases are filed in the Clerk’s Office. To speak to a clerk regarding elder abuse cases, please call 209-533-5555. There is no fee for filing an elder abuse/dependent elder abuse case. To qualify to file for an elder abuse case, the person asking for protection must be 65 years of age or older. Elder abuse forms are available on line or you can pick up a packet from the Clerk’s Office. You can fill out printable form by clicking below. Additional resources: Senior Support Services: 209-586-1320 Family Law Family law case types include dissolution of marriages, legal separations, annulments, establishing paternity, custody/visitation, child support, grandparent rights, domestic violence restraining orders, adoptions, and freeing a child from the control of a parent and giving the child some rights as an adult (Emancipation). To speak to a family law clerk, please call 209-533-6936. Filing fees are listed in the fee schedule. Packets for most of these case types can be purchased in the Clerk’s Office, or you can go on line and fill out printable forms by clicking below. The Court offers Mediation and Facilitator services to those who qualify. There is no charge for these services. The offices of the Mediators and Facilitator are located at the Court's Legal Resource & Self-Help Center at 39 N. Washington Street, St. F., Sonora, CA.
For more information please go to our Family Law Web page. Mediation services are available to litigants who have a current case involving the custody and visitation of their minor child(ren). The goal of our mediators is to facilitate a custody/visitation arrangement between the parents that is in the best interest of the minor child(ren). A mediation appointment can be made by calling 209-536-2984. When calling to make an appointment, please make sure that you have your case number and the mailing address of the other party. The mediators will not make an appointment for just one party, both parties must participate. If your case involves domestic violence restraining orders, please advise the clerk’s office when making the appointment and one of the parties will be instructed to call in at the appointment time so that the restraining order is not violated and the protected person has a safe environment for mediation. Mediation services are non-recommending, which means the mediator does not testify in Court or write any recommendation to the Court.
The Family Law Facilitator can assist people who are not represented by an attorney and who need to file or answer a Petition to Establish Parental Relationship, obtain genetic testing to determine parentage, calculate or modify child and/or spousal support, enforce child support orders, establish or question child or spousal support arrearage, challenge a wage assignment, respond to Department of Child Support Services complaints or motions, prepare an Income and Expense Declaration, obtain Court review of the revocation or denial of your driving privileges due to nonpayment of child support and assist with orders after hearing, if so directed by the Court. The Family Law Facilitator cannot give you legal advice or represent you in Court and she can meet with both parties in a case.
To make an appointment with the Family Law Facilitator, please call 209-536-2984.
For more information on the Family Law Facilitator please visit the Office of the Family Law Facilitator.
For persons going through the dissolution of marriage process with minor children, it is mandatory that both parties attend this workshop and file their certificate of completion with the Clerk’s Office. The classes are held on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. Classes are held in the Jury Assembly Room in the Historic Courthouse located at 41 West Yaney Avenue, Sonora, CA. For further information regarding this workshop, please click on the link below. Click here to view Children of Divorce Workshop information sheet. Domestic Violence cases are filed in the Clerk’s Office. To speak to a clerk regarding domestic violence cases, please call 209-533-6936. There is no fee for filing or answering a domestic violence case. To qualify for a domestic violence restraining order a person must have either abused you or made actually threats of violence against you and you must either have been married to that person, divorced from that person, separated from that person, dating or used to date that person or be related to that person. If you do not qualify for a domestic violence restraining order, you may qualify for a civil harassment order or a dependent adult or elder abuse order. Domestic Violence forms are available on line, or you may pick up a packet from the Clerk’s Office. You can fill out printable forms by clicking below. Additional resources: www.mountainwomen.org (Mountain Women’s Resource Center) www.infonettc.org/ (Tuolumne County District Attorney, Victim Witness Program) www.tuolumnecounty.ca.gov (DCSS-Department of Child Support Services) Small claims cases are filed in the Clerk’s Office. To speak with the small claims clerk, please call 209-533-6509. Filing fees are listed in the fee schedule. Small claims forms are available on line for your convenience, or you can purchase a packet in the Clerk’s Office. A Small Claims Advisor is available to assist you and can be reached by calling 209-532-8399. The Small Claims Court is a special Court in which disputes are resolved inexpensively and quickly. The rules are simple. The hearing is informal. Attorneys are not allowed. (However, you may ask an attorney for advice before you go to Small Claims Court.) The person who files the lawsuit is the plaintiff, and the person being sued is the defendant. The plaintiff presents his or her side of the story to the Judge. Witnesses or documents supporting the claim can also be presented. The defendant is allowed to ask questions of anyone who testifies for the plaintiff. The defendant then presents his or her side of the case and then it is the plaintiff’s opportunity to ask questions. The Judge will make a decision at the end of the trial, either in Court or in writing if the matter is taken under submission. The cases are limited to disputes up to $5,000 for a business, or $7,500 for an individual. You are not an “individual” in Small Claims Court if the claim you are filing relates to a business you own or operate. Important note: Certain claimants cannot file more than two Small Claims Court actions for more than $2,500 anywhere in the State of California during any calendar year. However, a claimant may file any number of claims for $2,500 or less. You can fill out printable forms by clicking below. Additional resources: Unlawful detainer cases are filed in the Clerk’s Office. To speak with the unlawful detainer clerk, please call 209-533-5555. Filing fees are listed in the fee schedule. Unlawful Detainer forms are available on line for your convenience, or you can purchase a packet in the Clerk’s Office. You can fill out printable forms by clicking below. Additional resources: http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/other/landten.htm http://www.dca.ca.gov/r_r/lanldtoc.htm Civil Harassment cases are filed in the Clerk’s Office. To speak with a clerk regarding civil harassment cases, please call 209-533-5555. There may or may not be a fee for filing a civil harassment case; the determination is based upon what actual events took place. Persons who are not related and never had a dating relationship may file a civil harassment case when they have been stalked, harassed, sexually assaulted, or threatened with violence. If you do not qualify for a civil harassment order, you may qualify for a domestic violence order or a dependent adult or elder abuse restraining order. Civil harassment forms are available on line, or you may pick up a packet from the clerk’s office. You can fill out printable forms by clicking below. http://lawhelpcalifornia.org/CA/index.cfm Note: Nothing in this Web site is intended as either legal advice or as a ruling of the Court. This information is provided as a general guide only. You are encouraged to get the assistance of a lawyer if legal advice is needed.
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