California Superior Court Civil Complaint Filing Checklist

California Superior Court Civil Complaint Filing Checklist

Court: Superior Court of California, County of [________________________________]

Case Caption: [________________________________] v. [________________________________]

Filing Attorney: [________________________________]

Bar Number: [________________________________]

Date Prepared: [__/__/____]

I. Pre-Filing Considerations

Jurisdiction and Venue

☐ Subject matter jurisdiction confirmed
☐ Proper venue determined (CCP § 392-403)
☐ Venue based on:
☐ Defendant's residence
☐ Location of injury/accident
☐ Contract performance location
☐ Other: [________________________________]

Case Classification

☐ Unlimited Civil: Amount in controversy exceeds $35,000
☐ Limited Civil: Amount in controversy $35,000 or less
☐ Small Claims: Amount in controversy $12,500 or less ($6,250 for businesses)

Statute of Limitations Check

☐ All claims within applicable limitations period
☐ Statute of limitations for each claim documented
☐ Any tolling provisions applied

II. Required Forms and Documents

Summons (SUM-100)

☐ Judicial Council form SUM-100 completed
☐ All defendants named
☐ Court name and address included
☐ Not signed by filer (clerk issues)

Complaint

☐ Judicial Council Form (if available):
☐ General Complaint (PLD-C-001)
☐ Breach of Contract (PLD-C-001, Attachment 4)
☐ Personal Injury (PLD-PI-001)
☐ Property Damage (PLD-PI-001)
☐ Motor Vehicle (PLD-PI-001, Attachment 3)
☐ Other form: [________________________________]

☐ OR Custom Complaint on Pleading Paper:
☐ 28-line pleading paper format
☐ Caption includes court, parties, case number space
☐ Numbered paragraphs
☐ Causes of action clearly stated
☐ Prayer for relief
☐ Verification (if required)
☐ Attorney signature

Civil Case Cover Sheet (CM-010)

☐ All items completed
☐ Case type checked
☐ Complex case designation (if applicable)
☐ Unlimited/Limited status indicated
☐ Signed by attorney

Additional Required Documents

☐ Certificate of Interested Entities (CRC 3.740) for complex cases
☐ Notice of Case Assignment (if applicable)
☐ Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Information Package
☐ Notice of Related Cases (if applicable)

III. Case-Specific Requirements

Personal Injury Cases

☐ Certificate of Merit for medical malpractice (CCP § 411.30)
☐ Statement of Damages served (CCP § 425.11) - NOT filed
☐ Proof of service of Statement of Damages

Construction Defect Cases

☐ Compliance with SB 800 (Right to Repair Act) - CIV § 895-945.5
☐ Pre-litigation notice requirements met
☐ Claimant's document production complete

Elder Abuse Cases

☐ Specific statutory allegations (Welfare & Inst. Code § 15600)
☐ Heightened pleading requirements

SLAPP Considerations

☐ Reviewed for potential Anti-SLAPP motion (CCP § 425.16)
☐ Causes of action do not arise from protected activity

IV. Formatting Requirements

Pleading Paper Format

☐ First page on 28-line pleading paper
☐ Attorney information in upper left (lines 1-7)
☐ Court information centered below heading
☐ Title of document
☐ Proper margins:
☐ Left margin: 1 inch
☐ Right margin: 0.5-1 inch
☐ Top margin: 1 inch (first page)
☐ Bottom margin: 0.5 inch

Font and Spacing

☐ Font size: 12-point minimum
☐ Line numbering on left margin
☐ Double-spaced text (exceptions for quotations)

Attachments

☐ Contracts (for breach of contract)
☐ Exhibits referenced in complaint
☐ Attachment pages numbered

V. Filing Methods

In-Person Filing

☐ Original complaint
☐ Copies: [____] (per local rule, typically 2-3)
☐ Summons copies: [____]
☐ Filing fee
☐ Self-addressed stamped envelope (if requesting conformed copies by mail)

E-Filing (Mandatory in Most Counties)

☐ E-filing service provider account: [________________________________]
☐ Documents in PDF format
☐ All documents properly named
☐ E-filing requirements met per local rules
☐ Credit card or ACH for fees

Common E-Filing Service Providers

☐ File & ServeXpress
☐ One Legal
☐ TurboCourt
☐ Superior Court direct portal (if available)

VI. Filing Fees

Unlimited Civil Cases

☐ First paper filing fee: $435 (verify current)
☐ Complex case fee: Additional $1,000

Limited Civil Cases

☐ First paper filing fee: $240 (verify current)

Fee Waivers

☐ Fee waiver request (FW-001) filed
☐ Supporting income declaration
☐ Fee waiver granted: ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Pending

VII. Service of Process Requirements

Service Deadline (CRC 3.110)

☐ Complaint must be served within 60 days of filing
☐ Proofs of service filed within 60 days
☐ Or request extension before deadline

Service Methods (CCP § 415.10-415.50)

☐ Personal Service: Delivery to individual defendant
☐ Substitute Service: Leave with person + mail (CCP § 415.20)
☐ Service by Mail with Acknowledgment: (CCP § 415.30)
☐ Service by Publication: Court order required (CCP § 415.50)

Proof of Service

☐ Proof of Service of Summons (POS-010)
☐ Filed after service completed
☐ Server over 18 and not a party

Response Deadline for Defendant

☐ 30 days after service
☐ Plus 5 days if personally served outside California
☐ Plus additional time for substitute service

VIII. E-Filing Specifics (if applicable)

Document Preparation

☐ PDF format
☐ Text-searchable (OCR)
☐ Proper bookmarks for long documents
☐ No password protection
☐ File size within limits

Signature Requirements

☐ Electronic signature (/s/ Name)
☐ Or wet signature scanned
☐ Attorney bar number included

Filing Deadline

☐ E-filed documents accepted until 11:59 PM
☐ Court's local time

IX. Local Rules Compliance

County: [________________________________]

☐ Local rules reviewed
☐ Department assignment rules checked
☐ Case management requirements noted
☐ ADR requirements checked
☐ Complex case requirements (if applicable)

X. Post-Filing Steps

Immediate Post-Filing

☐ Case number assigned: [________________________________]
☐ File-stamped copies received
☐ Summons issued by clerk

Case Management

☐ Case Management Conference scheduled: [__/__/____]
☐ Case Management Statement due: [__/__/____]
☐ ADR deadline: [__/__/____]

Service of Process

☐ Service initiated
☐ Process server engaged
☐ Service deadline calendared: [__/__/____]

XI. Discovery Act Compliance

"Hold" on Discovery

☐ Plaintiff may serve discovery with complaint
☐ Defendant may serve discovery with response
☐ Discovery act timeline begins

Initial Disclosures (if applicable)

☐ Some courts require initial disclosures
☐ Check local rules for requirements

XII. Quality Control Checklist

Before Filing

☐ All party names correct and consistent
☐ Causes of action properly pleaded
☐ All essential elements alleged
☐ Relief sought clearly stated
☐ All required forms completed
☐ Filing fee ready
☐ Copies prepared

Document Review

☐ Proofread for errors
☐ Citations verified
☐ Formatting correct
☐ Signatures in place
☐ Verification included (if required)

XIII. Document Tracking Log

XIV. Key Deadlines Summary

Sources and References

• California Courts Self-Help: https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/civil-lawsuit
• California Rules of Court: https://www.courts.ca.gov/rules.htm
• California Code of Civil Procedure: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
• Sacramento County Law Library: https://saclaw.org

Prepared by: [________________________________]

Date: [__/__/____]

Supervising Attorney (if applicable): [________________________________]