(Formerly known as Civil Self Help Center)
All services will be conducted by phone appointments until further notice. To request an appointment, call (916) 476-2731. We will return your call within five business days to discuss whether you are eligible for service and then schedule a longer phone appointment.
SH@LL no longer hosts in-person workshops. Name change and guardianship services are provided one-on-one. Call to make an appointment. Videos of the Name Change Workshop, Guardianship Workshop, and Discovery Workshop are available free on our Self-Help Videos page or our YouTube channel.
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The purpose of SH@LL is to provide general information and basic assistance to individual self-represented litigants. If you have a lawyer, or if you represent a business, we cannot help you. Services are for Sacramento County residents or people with cases in Sacramento County Superior Court that fall within our scope of services only. Please read “Issues the staff CANNOT assist you with” below, for cases that fall outside of the scope of our services. All of our services are free of charge.
SH@LL cannot assist with all types of cases. Instead of an appointment, patrons may be referred to the library or to other services. You can also visit our Law 101 topics and our Self Help Video pages any time to watch our self-help videos and download forms and guides.
Issues the staff CAN assist you with:
- Simple complaints for breach of contract lawsuits
- Simple answers to breach of contract lawsuits
- Simple complaints for personal injury and property damage lawsuits
- Simple answers to personal injury and property damages lawsuits
- Enforcement of Judgment
- Motions to Set Aside Default
- Motions to Extend Time for Service
- Name Changes
- Name and Gender Changes
- Confidential Safe At Home Name Changes
- Requests for Entry of Default
- Oppositions to Civil Forfeitures
- Claims of Exemption from Wage Garnishment or Bank Levy
- Motions to and Oppositions to Motions to Compel Discovery
- Motions to Pay in Installments
- Oppositions to Motions to Deem Admissions Admitted and for Sanctions
- Guardianships — starting a guardianship of a minor
- Case Management Statements
Issues the staff CANNOT assist you with:
- Appeals
- Medical, Dental, and Legal Malpractice
- Landlord/Tenant (Unlawful Detainer; Eviction)
- All Real Estate actions, including Quiet Title, Lis Pendens, Foreclosure and Loan Modification
- Discovery Requests and Responses (see our Discovery Video Series)
- Administrative Law, Government Torts, Writs of Mandate & any action involving a government entity
- Family Law (divorce, child custody, paternity)
- Criminal Law
- Complicated Probate or Estate Issues, such as Will Contests, and Conservatorship
- Small Claims
- Traffic
- Juvenile Dependency and Delinquency
- Federal Law (Bankruptcy, Immigration Law, lawsuits against the U.S., all Civil Rights lawsuits)
- Class Action lawsuits
- Writs of Possession, Temporary Restraining Orders, Injunctions
- Employment Law