In about five years, you are going to see private online companies replace the function of the clerk of the courts. If you have a small claims lawsuit to file, wading through mounds of legal documents and technical jargon can be a headache and lawyers and legal advice can get expensive. But, now you can file your small claims lawsuit online for the first time in the country at the Sacramento Superior Court . Two Sacramento County employees helped develop the system and launched the service Tuesday. People using the electric filing option at the Sacramento Superior Court's home page will create a login name and password that can be used to retrieve the filing.
Users also enter the name of the person or company they wish to sue.
Right now, the service is only available for people who file at the downtown court site. The South Sacramento and Elk Grove locations may be brought online later. More than 12,000 small claims cases are filed each year in Sacramento, according to court records. Users will need a computer printer, an e-mail address, and a valid credit card to file over the Internet. Commercial, government and nonprofit websites are making legal information and self-help law tools directly available to tens of millions of average Americans.