Court Assistance

The Court Assistance Office hosts weekly online workshops to help with court forms for Divorce with children, Custody and Child Support, and Modification of Custody and Child Support. The workshop will help you with:

1. Understanding how to use each of the court forms in the paperwork process.
2. Understanding the steps involved in obtaining your court order. You will be responsible for understanding each of these steps.
3. Understanding the Idaho Child Support Guidelines and what is required in child support cases. You are required to complete child support calculations along with your other court forms, otherwise your order may be denied.
4. Understanding property and debt distribution and the risks of not disclosing property and debt.

When you attend the workshop, you will have the opportunity to work with a parenting plan expert who will help you to create a detailed and enforceable parenting plan. In addition to the help that you will receive with your court forms, we can also help complete your child support calculations.

Here are the steps to prepare for the workshop:

1. Locate your documents at courtselfhelp.idaho.gov.
2. Print out all of the forms located under step 1 of your case type.
3. Fill out the documents, and familiarize yourself with the information in the forms. Fill out as much of the information as you can on each of the documents before attending the workshop.

Contact the Court Assistance Office to register for the workshop.

The Court Assistance Office will begin hosting online workshops to help with Canyon County eviction cases. Although the workshop is for Canyon County cases, the information provided will still be useful in your understanding of evictions The workshops will help both landlords and tenants with:

1. Understanding the steps involved in obtaining an eviction judgment.
2. Understanding how to prepare for your hearing.
3. Understanding court forms needed. Depending on the type of eviction, free online court forms may be available.

Please check back for updates about the eviction workshop, or contact the Canyon County Court Assistance Office at (208) 454-7455 or email cao@canyoncounty.id.gov.

The Guide & File portal is an easy-to-use site designed like an online interview. When you make a selection or type information, the portal will fill out your court forms for you. When you have completed the interview, you can review the documents and either print or file electronically.

Guided interviews are available for the following case types:

• Divorce without minor children
• Guardianship of a minor child
• Protection Orders
• Small Claims

To begin filling out your court forms using Guide & File visit https://guideandfile.idaho.gov.

The File & Serve portal can be used to manually upload your documents for efiling. You will need to scan your documents and save them in a PDF format before you begin using File & Serve.

To begin using File & Serve visit https://icourt.idaho.gov and click on the  icon.

File & Serve can also be used to begin a records search. You cannot print your records from this site, but you can locate your case number and use the case number to request a copy of your records from the Clerk’s Office.

Can I get court forms for different kinds of court cases at the courthouse?
Court forms are available for a number of different case types. Your local courthouse has packets available to purchase for the most common types of cases, including:

• Divorce
• Custody/Child Support
• Guardianship of minor (no adult guardianship forms)
• Eviction for nonpayment of rent, or forcible detainer
• Name Change
• Small Claims

You can call your local courthouse to find out how much the packets cost; however, if you would prefer to print them yourself for free, you can access the forms at www.courtselfhelp.idaho.gov.

Do I need an appointment to file my court forms?
No, you do not need an appointment to file your court forms; however, you will need to make sure that you have completely filled out your paperwork and have copies available with you at the time of filing. If you do bring the extra copies with, you will have to pay a fee for extra copies of the paperwork.

Will I be told what to do after I file my documents?
No. It is important to understand that you are responsible to all of the steps necessary to move your case forward towards a final resolution. Court rules are available for you to review at www.isc.idaho.gov or you can call the Court Assistance Office for general procedural information.

How long will it take before my case is done?
The judge assigned to your case is the final decision-maker. Once you have taken all of the steps, and have filed your final court forms, you will wait for the judge to review your paperwork and may have to appear at a hearing. Court cases that are not disputed can be completed in as little as 30 days. If your case is disputed and has to go to a trial, it may take several months before your case is completed.

Do I need a lawyer?
Deciding whether or not you need an attorney is a personal decision. As previously mentioned, if you are not familiar with the court process, have a complicated legal matter, or need court forms that do not exist, you may need the help of an attorney. If you are only seeking advice, you can call the Idaho State Bar at (208) 334-4500 and request a referral to a private attorney. The lawyer referral service costs $35 for a 30-minute consultation.