LawHelp Interactive Programs
This page is for court self-help center staff, legal aid agencies and advocates who assist self-represented litigants. If you are a self-represented litigant, please visit California Courts Self-Help Center or your local court website for information and resources.
LawHelp Interactive is an online platform administered by a nonprofit organization, Pro Bono Net, which provides access to HotDocs document assembly programs developed by the Judicial Council. Document assembly programs use an interview format to ask litigants, or those assisting litigants, questions that are used to populate Judicial Council forms. The programs determine which forms are needed based on a litigant’s particular situation. In California, HotDocs programs are offered at no cost to court self-help centers, nonprofit legal services agencies and other court partners that serve self-represented litigants.
If you are new to HotDocs and want information on getting started, jump to Getting Started with LHI and HotDocs.
What's New with HotDocs?
New Bilingual Small Claims Program Available
This program first helps plaintiffs determine whether small claims is right for them. If they have a case that is appropriate for small claims, the program will help them fill out form SC-100 to get their case started. The program also offers an optional fee waiver and will print information sheets about service in small claims. Users may choose to go through the interview in English or in Spanish. Court self-help centers that are interested in offering this program may contact Diana Glick to request the inclusion of customized local court information.
California Small Claims Plaintiff’s Claim
Judicial Council Forms – Program Updates
- Last Update: At various meetings in the Spring and Summer, the Judicial Council approved 20 new and revised forms with an effective date of September 1, 2024. These changes affected 59 HotDocs programs, mostly in family law. The programs were updated and republished for September 1, 2024.
- Next Update: The next scheduled HotDocs update will take place for January 1, 2025.
Statewide Program Links
If you are looking for a link to a program developed specifically for your county, jump to County Programs.
Courts that want to provide links to HotDocs programs on their local court websites should copy the specific program links below onto internal self-help center or public sites. This will allow litigants to go directly to LawHelpInteractive.org.
Please do not publish links to the Equal Access site (these informational pages) as it is intended for court self-help center staff.
The following programs are available for use in any county—to enable a program for your county, please contact us at HotDocs@jud.ca.gov to provide venue and court address information and for assistance with disseminating and displaying links to the programs.
| Program Name and Description |
Intended User/Setting |
|
Answer to Governmental Child Support Complaint
- This program will help the user fill out forms to respond to a governmental child support summons and complaint and provide financial information to the court.
- Detailed information about this program here:
Child Support Answer Coversheet
|
Staff/Workshop
SRL/Remote Assistance |
|
Child Support Modification Request
- This program will help the user fill out the FL-300 Request for Order form specifically to request a change to an existing child support order. It contains questions specific to the current coronavirus state of emergency.
- Child Support Modification Request Coversheet
|
SRL/Remote Assistance |
|
Civil Harassment Restraining Order Petition
- This program will help the user fill out the forms needed to ask the court for a civil harassment restraining order.
- Detailed information about this program here:
CHRO Petition Coversheet
|
Staff/Workshop |
|
Civil Harassment Restraining Order Response
- This program will help the user fill out the forms needed to respond to a civil harassment restraining order petition.
- Detailed information about this program here:
CHRO Response Coversheet
|
Staff/Workshop |
|
Divorce Starter Kit Program
- Can be used remotely to start the dissolution process before coming to the self-help center.
- Includes fee waiver petition.
|
SRL
|
|
Dissolution Petition and Disclosures
- Completes the dissolution petition and disclosures
- Includes fee waiver petition.
|
Staff/Workshop
|
|
Dissolution Foreign Service
- Generates the Spanish versions of the Judicial Council forms.
- Allows the user to enter translated data from the petitioner’s filing documents.
- See Instructions for Dissolution Foreign Service Program.
|
SRL with staff/translator assistance
|
|
Dissolution Judgment-Default or Stipulated
- Generates and partially fills out forms necessary for a default, default with agreement (hybrid), or stipulated judgment in a divorce case
- Detailed information about this program here: Dissolution Judgment program Coversheet
|
SRL, with assistance recommended |
|
Domestic Violence Programs
- Petitioner and Respondent programs.
- Two versions of the petitioner program – with TRO Hearing Notice and without. Courts that would like to use the petitioner program with TRO Hearing Notice should contact us at HotDocs@jud.ca.gov your local form included the program.
- Programs include information designed to enable self-represented litigants to use the programs on their own. However, it is recommended that petitioners seek help with filing a restraining order through domestic violence advocates or the self-help center.
|
SRL, with assistance recommended
|
|
Elder Abuse Restraining Order Petition
- This program will help the user fill out the forms needed to ask the court for an elder or dependent adult abuse restraining order
- Detailed information about this program here:
EARO Petition Coversheet
|
Staff/Workshop |
|
Elder Abuse Restraining Order Response
- This program will help the user fill out the forms needed to respond to a request for an elder or dependent adult abuse restraining order petition
- Detailed information about this program here:
EARO Response Coversheet
|
Staff/Workshop |
|
Fee Waiver Request-Guardianship/Conservatorship
- Standalone fee waiver request for guardianship and conservatorship matters.
- Can be used when a guardian or conservator represents a ward or conservatee in a civil matter.
- Questions are designed to help the user fill out the FW-001-GC and the FW-003-GC for a single ward or conservatee.
|
SRL
|
|
Guardianship Program
- Assists proposed guardians to present a complete petition for guardianship for up to five children.
- Includes probate fee waiver petition.
- Courts that would like to offer this program should contact us at HotDocs@jud.ca.gov in order to provide local court information and indicate whether the court accepts the GC-210 or the GC-210(P).
|
Staff/Workshop
|
|
Income and Expense Declaration
- Standalone program for form FL-150 Income and Expense Declaration
- For use in family law matters involving support, such as parentage, divorce, and domestic violence restraining orders
- Bilingual program, available in English and Spanish
- Detailed information about this program here: Bilingual Income and Expense Coversheet
|
Staff/Workshop
|
|
Name Change Petition
- This program will help the user fill out the forms needed to ask the court to change the name of an adult, a child or children, or a family group, and includes a fee waiver petition.
- The program will also help the user request a name change with recognition of gender change for an adult.
- This version of the program contains local court venue information.
- The publicly-available version of this program at Name Change Form Builder requires litigants to input their own courthouse information for form captions.
|
SRL
|
|
Parentage Petition
- This program will help the user fill out the forms needed to ask the court to establish parentage over up to four children.
- Detailed information about this program here:
Parentage Petition Coversheet
|
Staff/Workshop
|
|
Parentage Response
- This program will help the user fill out the forms needed to respond to a parentage petition.
- Detailed information about this program here:
Parentage Response Coversheet
|
Staff/Workshop
|
|
Petition for Custody and Support
|
SRL/Remote Assistance
|
|
Request for Order
- This program will help the user fill out forms to file a Request for Order in a family law case, including new and modified orders for child custody, visitation and child support.
- Detailed information about this program here:
Request for Order Coversheet
|
Staff/Workshop |
|
Unlawful Detainer Complaint
- This program will help a landlord to fill out the forms necessary to file a complaint for unlawful detainer against a tenant. It includes a fee waiver application.
- If you would like to have the program enabled for use in your county, please contact us at HotDocs@jud.ca.gov.
- Detailed information about this program here:
Unlawful Detainer Complaint Coversheet
|
SRL
|
|
Unlawful Detainer Answer
- This program will help a tenant fill out the forms necessary to file an answer to an unlawful detainer complaint. It includes a fee waiver application.
- If you would like to have the program enabled for use in your county, please contact us at HotDocs@jud.ca.gov.
- Detailed information about this program here:
Unlawful Detainer Answer Coversheet
|
SRL
|
Getting Started with LHI and HotDocs
If your court is new to HotDocs and LawHelp Interactive, please contact us at HotDocs@jud.ca.gov. We will connect you with a community of courts using document assembly and ensure that you receive ongoing support and important updates to the programs. It will also be very helpful to us to have an accurate list of courts using LHI/HotDocs for reporting purposes.
Please see the documents below for a LHI/HotDocs Overview and Instructions on setting up accounts.
County Programs