LASC: SUPERIOR COURT OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY TO EXPAND ELECTRONIC SERVICE TO FAMILY LAW, PROBATE AND MENTAL HEALTH APPEALS BEGINNING JAN. 2, 2025
On Jan. 2, 2025, the Superior Court of Los Angeles County will expand its phased implementation of electronic service (eService) to Family Law, Probate and Mental Health appeal documents that the Court is required to transmit, deliver or serve. This expansion to additional litigation types follows the initial implementation of eService for Juvenile Dependency appeals documents in December 2024. Represented parties will be required to accept eService from the Court, and self-represented parties may choose to receive electronic notices as well.
eService enables attorneys and self-represented litigants to receive case documents electronically from the Court, streamlining case progression and offering the following benefits:
- Efficiency and Timeliness: Attorneys will be automatically enrolled in eService, receiving faster notification and document delivery. Self-represented litigants who opt in for eService will also experience quicker service compared to traditional mailing methods.
- Convenience and Flexibility: Case documents can be securely accessed electronically from any location, provided users maintain an up-to-date email address for Service.
- Enhanced Security: Secure links with multi-factor authentication ensure document integrity.
- Automatic Proof of Service: eService provides automatic proof of service for recipients.
Information About the Phased Implementation of Service
During this next phase of eService implementation, the Court will begin sending electronic notices for Family Law, Probate and Mental Health appeals on Jan. 2, 2025. Implementation of eService for Civil case types will begin in the coming months, with full implementation expected by July 1, 2025.
What to Know About Service
Under California Rule of Court 2.251, electronic service is equivalent to service by mail, express mail, overnight delivery or fax transmission. Attorneys are required to accept eService, while self-represented
litigants may choose to opt in by filing a consent form. eService from the Court will have the same legal effect as service by mail.
Express consent is required for self-represented litigants who choose eService. Consent may be provided by filing a Consent to Electronic Service and Notice of Electronic Service Address form. Please see below for more details on Service:
- Opting In: Self-represented litigants may opt in for eService by filing a Consent to Electronic Service and Notice of Electronic Service Address (EFS-005-CV) form.
- eService Lists: The Court will maintain an eService list for each case type, including the email addresses provided by litigants who consent to Service.
- Maintaining eService Addresses: Any changes to an eService address must be promptly updated by the litigant or attorney to ensure seamless communication. Parties may submit a completed MC-040 form to update their email address of record at any time.
- Service Completion: Rule 2.251 outlines that service by electronic notification is deemed complete per Code of Civil Procedure section 1010.6 when the electronic notification of service of the document is sent.
- Secure Access: All eService notices from the Court will be sent from CourtNotify@lacourt.org and include a secure link to access served documents, with a time-sensitive code to ensure security. Access will require multi-factor authentication to ensure security and integrity.
Additional Resources:
The following resources are available to assist court users with the phased rollout of Service:
- Video tutorial on Service.
For questions or technical assistance with eService, court users are encouraged to call 213-830-0400.
You can view the full notice here.
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