Court Filings in Oregon and Nationwide
Court filing is the process of submitting your documents, either digitally or in-person, to start or continue an on-going legal action. It’s crucial that your documents are filed in a timely manner as missing a deadline could put your case in jeopardy of being dismissed or having the judge prejudiced against you.
If your case resides in Oregon State Circuit Court, we can e-file on your behalf. In other jurisdictions, we can file by mail or electronically, depending on that jurisdiction.
Receipts for items that are e-filed will be forwarded to you via email. If we file hard copies with a court on your behalf by mail, we will request that the clerk send you a “conformed” copy by mail (this involves providing the clerk with a self-addressed, stamped envelope and an additional copy they will stamp showing it was added to your case’s official file).
All filing fees must be paid in advance. Each court has their own fees associated with different types of filing. How much you’ll pay depends on the jurisdiction, the type of case, and the type of document. Some documents do not incur court filing fees when they are filed. If you feel that paying a filing fee is a financial burden, you should talk to the court clerk. They’ll be able to tell you if your situation qualifies as an exemption from paying filing fees.
Document Retrievals
In many instances, research and retrieval of documents in Oregon can be done electronically, but there are cases (depending on how old the matter is) that will require in-person research/retrieval. We have paid for access to the Oregon Circuit Court’s system as well as to PACER (the federal system).
If you need a copy of a document or pleading from any Portland Metro area court, we are happy to check the digital records and/or visit the court in person and retrieve those for you.
Here are our fees:
- Court eFilings: $20 + any filing fee charged by the court
- Court house deliveries: $55 and up depending on County/location
- Document Retrieval: $55 + any court fees
- Court record searches: $20
- Record documents with County Recorder: $25 by mail; $50 in person plus any county clerk fees
