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Public Notice:

Please see the updated information on the transition from Zoom to Court Call for remote video appearances

What the Court Can Do for You

What Can the Court Do for You?

We are happy to help you if we can. However, we are allowed to help you only in certain ways, since we must be fair to everyone.
This is a list of some things the court staff can and cannot do for you.

We can:

Explain and answer questions about how the court works.

Provide you with contact information for resources like the programs below and other services where you can get legal information.

  1. Kern County Bar Association
  2. Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance
  3. Family Law Facilitator

Give you general information about court rules, procedures, and practices.

Provide court schedules and information on how to get a case scheduled.

Provide you information from your case file.

Usually answer questions about court deadlines and how to compute them.

We cannot:

Tell you whether or not you should bring your case to court.

Tell you what words to use in your court papers. (However, we can check your papers for completeness. For example, we check for signatures, notarization, correct county name, correct case number, and presence of attachments.)

Tell you what to say in court.

Give you an opinion about what will happen if you bring your case to court.

Talk to the judge for you.

Let you talk to the judge outside of court.

Change an order signed by a judge.

Since court staff may not know the answer to all questions about court rules, procedures, and practices, and because we don't want to give you wrong information, we have been instructed not to answer questions if we do not know the correct answers. For additional information, please contact a lawyer or your local law library, or check the California Courts Self-Help Center Web site.

If you have a suggestion for improving the Court's customer service, you may E-Mail the Court's Suggestion Box.

To file a complaint please download and fill out one of the following forms:

Complaint Against Court Facilities or Court Personnel Form:  Here 

To submit your complaint electronically, please click Here 

This form is used to submit complaints, except those against a Judicial Officer.

Complaint Against a Judicial Officer Form: Here 

Complaints must be submitted in writing.

This form is used to submit a complaint against a Judicial Officer.

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