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California

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I-CAN!™ Small Claims E-Filing

I-CAN!™ Legal E-Files Small Claims suits and counter-suits for courts in Orange County. If you E-File, you will need to pay your filing fees and a $4 convenience fee online using our secure payment system (unless you file a Fee Waiver). You can pay with Visa, MasterCard or Discover. You can use I-CAN!™ Legal to prepare Small Claims forms to print and file at any Small Claims Court in California for free.

  If you are ready to use I-CAN!™ click on Steps in the I-CAN!™ Process


I-CAN!™ Legal Website Features


To find out more information about other legal modules I-CAN!™ Legal offers, click on I-CAN!™ Modules. If you want to read instructions on how to file your forms, how to deliver forms to the other party, or how to prepare for your court hearing click on Instructions. Click on Small Claims Factsheets for help with common issues in Small Claims Court. If you only need to fill out a particular form, click on Blank Forms. The I-CAN!™ Legal website also allows you to watch short educational videos about court processes. Click on Watch Videos to browse through our selection.


Small Claims E-Filing FAQ


Can I-CAN!™ Legal electronically file (E-File) my forms?

How do I submit my E-Filing?

How do I check the status of my E-Filing?

Is my computer ready to print my forms?

How do I print my E-Filed forms?

What if my E-Filing is not accepted?

Small Claims Forms


 

Can I-CAN!™ Legal electronically file (E-File) my court forms?

I-CAN!™ Legal E-Files Small Claims suits and counter-suits for courts in Orange County. However, if you are under age 18 or you had an arbitration of an attorney-client fee dispute, you will not be able to E-File your claim or counter-claim. You will need to print your forms and file them at your court in person.

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How do I submit my E-Filing?

You can use I-CAN!™ Legal to e-file many Small Claims forms if you are creating forms for Orange County. There is a $4 convenience fee to e-file, unless you are also e-filing a Fee Waiver.

To e-file your forms, review your forms to ensure they are correct and complete. Click "Next" on the screen that lists your forms and you will be prompted to e-file your forms if you choose to.

When you e-file your forms you will need to check back on this website to verify the court has accepted them, and you can print them, and then serve them on the other party as required.

Your forms will have the time, date, and location of the court hearing printed on them.

If you forget to log in and print and serve the forms, your court date will pass and no order will be made. You will then have to start over, file and pay your filing fees again.

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How do I check the status of my E-Filing?

To check the status of your E-Filing, log back into I-CAN!™ Legal, enter Small Claims, select "Print my e-filed forms", and enter your password.

Detailed step by step instructions are below:

  1. Click on the link at the top of this page "Already have an I-CAN!™ password? Login Here"
  2. Enter I-CAN!™ Legal click "Next" and select whether or not you want to view videos click "Next" again.
  3. Select "Small Claims" click "Next"
  4. Select "Print my e-filed forms" click "Next"
  5. Enter your password then click "Next"
  6. Your status will be displayed. If your filing is accepted by the court your forms will be listed for you to print and serve on the other party(s). If your filing is rejected by the court a reason is listed and you can correct your information and resubmit your filing again, at no additional cost.

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Is my computer ready to print my forms?

To use I-CAN!™ Legal you need to have Adobe Reader installed on your computer. Adobe Reader is a free program and you can download it and install it in a few minutes.

Click here to download Adobe Reader.

You need to have Adobe Reader installed on your computer in order to open your court forms. If you e-file, you will need to open your forms to review your information and print your forms for your records. It is your responsibility to make sure that your information is correct and complete.

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How do I print my E-Filed forms?

To print your E-Filed forms, log back into I-CAN!™ Legal, enter Small Claims, select "Print my e-filed forms", and enter your password.

Detailed step by step instructions are below:

  1. Click on the link at the top of this page "Already have an I-CAN!™ password? Login Here"
  2. Enter I-CAN!™ Legal click "Next" and select whether or not you want to view videos click "Next" again.
  3. Select "Small Claims" click "Next"
  4. Select "Print my e-filed forms" click "Next"
  5. Enter your password then click "Next"
  6. Your status will be displayed. If your filing is accepted by the court your forms will be listed for you to print and serve on the other party(s). If your filing is rejected by the court a reason is listed and you can correct your information and resubmit your filing again, at no additional cost.

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What if my E-Filing is not accepted?

If your filing is rejected by the court a reason is listed on the e-file status page. You can correct your information and resubmit your filing again, at no additional cost. To do this you navigate through the I-CAN!™ Legal software and make the changes the court required.

After you review your forms to verify your changes, click "Next" and a screen will prompt you to resubmit your filing again.

There is no additional charge to resubmit your filing, and there is no limit on the number of times you can resubmit it. While it is not required, you may choose to correct your forms, print them, and file your forms at the court in person if you would prefer.

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Small Claims Forms

Sue or Counter-sue in Small Claims Court

In Small Claims court you can sue for up to $7,500 (or up to $5,000 if you are suing as a business). If a small claim has been filed against you, you can counter-sue in Small Claims Court for up to $7,500 (or up to $5,000 if you are counter-suing as a business). If you cannot afford to pay your filing fees, I-CAN! will help you fill out and submit a Fee Waiver request to the court.

If I-CAN!™ supports e-filing for your court and the type of case you have, you may choose to E-File your small claim. Currently I-CAN!™ supports e-filing for Small Claims at the courts in Orange County.

Ask to Postpone your Small Claims hearing date

If you have a hearing date for your Small Claims case, you can ask the court to postpone your hearing to a later date. You have to have a good reason to postpone the hearing date. Usually you have to ask at least 10 days before the hearing. If you have a good reason why you are asking less than 10 days before the hearing, you can ask to postpone the hearing with less time.

If you cannot afford to pay your filing fees, I-CAN!™ will help you fill out and submit a Fee Waiver request to the court.

Prepare Small Claims after-hearing forms
After you have had a Small Claims hearing, I-CAN!™ will help you to file after-hearings forms. You can request to be allowed to collect your money if you won your case. You can also ask the judge to correct your judgment if there was a clerical error, cancel your judgment if the court applied the wrong law to your case, or appeal your judgment if you want to have your case heard again as if it was a new case.

I-CAN!™ will print all of the forms that are necessary for your individual situation out of the following forms:
  • Small Claims: SC-100, SC-100A, SC-120, SC-120A, SC-101, SC-103, SC-104, FW-001, FW-003, CIV-010
  • Small Claims Postponement: SC-110, SC-111
  • Small Claims After Hearing: EJ-001, EJ-100, EJ-130, EJ-150, SC-105, SC-105A, SC-107, SC-108, SC-108A, SC-133, SC-134, SC-135, SC-140, MC-012, WG-001

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  If you are ready to use I-CAN!™ click on Steps in the I-CAN!™ Process


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