Civil Court – General Information Print this Page
Phone: (415) 444-7040
Email: civil@marincourt.org
Location: Civic Center, Hall of Justice, Room 113
Office Hours: 8:30am - 4:00pm


Legal Self Help Services.

Parties representing themselves may find legal information, assistance with completing forms and learn about court procedures at Legal Self Help Services, Civic Center, Hall of Justice, Room 244, San Rafael. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:30am - 4:00pm, closed 12:00pm - 1:00pm. The telephone number is (415) 444-7130.

Jurisdictional Limits.

Please click here for Jurisdictional Limits.

A small claim is a special type of limited jurisdiction case. Because these cases are processed differently than other limited jurisdiction civil cases, information about and help with filing small claims cases is available by clicking here.

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

Judicial officers use a variety of strategies for resolving civil disputes. In addition to traditional court and jury trials. These approaches are designed to reduce costs and case processing time for litigants. Referred to as Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), these strategies include mandatory settlement conferences, mediation, arbitration, and neutral case evaluation. See more information on ADR from the Judicial Council or by calling the Court's ADR Coordinator at (415) 444-7040, Option 6. You may also get more information about the Court's program by clicking here.

Telephonic Court Appearances.

Attorneys and parties representing themselves can make court appearances via telephone under certain circumstances. See more information about the program by clicking here.

Civil Tentative Rulings.

The Court issues law and motion tentative rulings in certain types of civil matters. Click here.

Links to Specific Topics:

Special Types of Civil Cases
Civil Harassment Restraining Orders
Civil Clerk's Office Overview

The Civil Clerk's Office processes legal disputes brought by parties to recover money, real or personal property; enforce a contract; collect damages for injuries; or protect a party's civil right. Based on the dollar amount sought by the plaintiff or petitioner at the time of filing the original petition or complaint, civil matters are either defined as unlimited or limited jurisdiction cases. This distinction is important because the filing fees and some case processing procedures vary, based on this classification.

Court employees may give members of the public legal information, direct them to Judicial Council and local forms or offer referrals to legal service provider agencies for help in completing paperwork or understanding court procedures.

Please note that court employees are prohibited by law from giving legal advice.

 
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