FAQs • Clallam County, WA • CivicEngage

How long before I get a warrant for not paying my criminal fines / fees?: If you do not pay your fines and fees each month you may be sent to a collection agency any time after 30 days has lapsed.

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Clerk of Superior Court

1. Do you accept debit cards, credit cards or personal checks?: Yes, we do accept credit or debit cards. No personal checks will be accepted.

2. What forms do I need for my divorce, probate, or other court case?: Our office is not qualified to provide this service. We maintain records for Superior Court and this is where proceedings are filed, but we are restricted by law on our services and we cannot provide legal advice. If your case is a family matter you may wish to contact the Family Court Facilitator at 360-417-2588, room 212 in the courthouse, or pro bono at 888-201-1014, or Northwest Justice 360-452-9137, at 1020 Caroline Street, Port Angeles. Our main web page also lists other resources available that are not family court matters.

3. What forms do we provide?: Domestic violence protection order packets, case information cover sheet (required for new case filings), guardianship summary, return of service, motion for waiver of a civil filing fee, and motion and order to amend pay or appear payments. These are available on our main webpage under “Forms”.

4. How do I get Letters Testamentary?: These are issued by our office after the Judge signs an Order directing us to issue the letters. You must file an Estate / Probate and file or present the necessary documents relating to your specific case. Please see our main web page for resources for forms and documents.

5. What is the next step for my divorce or other court matter, or how do I get a court date?: The Court nor the Clerks' Office will move your case along. You will need to file motions and other proceedings in your case to schedule future court hearings and to finalize your court matter. Please refer to our main web page for resources to contact to assist with your question.

6. How long do I have to serve the other party?: Service to parties in a court case is usually set by statute or local court rules. You will need to research the laws pertaining to your case, check the State Court website, local court rules under the Superior Courts web page, or other resources listed on our main web page.

7. How do I evict someone?: Evictions and Unlawful Detainers are filed in our office. Please see our fee schedule listed on our main web page for the filing fee in these cases. You may wish to contact Northwest Justice at 360-452-9137, 1020 Caroline Street, Port Angeles for legal advice.

8. If someone was arrested overnight or on the weekend, when will they be seen by a Judge?: If it is a felony matter or a case that is opened in Superior Court they will be scheduled for our Criminal Ex Parte calendar. Those are scheduled Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday at 1 pm and Thursday at 3 pm. Our office receives the calendar for Criminal Ex Parte about one hour prior to court from the Court Administrator's Office. You can contact the Court Administrator in the morning at 360-415-2386, or you may contact our office one hour prior to court to determine if that person will be seen on that day or not. For misdemeanor or District Court matters you would need to contact District Court.

9. When will I get my bail or bond back?: At the conclusion of the case or when the Judge signs an order releasing or exonerating the bail or bond.

10. Do I have a warrant?: If you have a Clallam County Superior Court case our office can check to see if you have a warrant. For District Court or other State / County warrants, you would need to contact them directly to see if you have a warrant through their agency.

11. How can I get my Superior Court warrant removed (quashed)?: Contact your attorney if you have one appointed. If your warrant is for failing to pay your fines / fees (Pay or Appear) you need to pay $150 to the Clerk's Office and request that your warrant be quashed. After we receive the $150 we will present an Order to the Judge for review. If the warrant is on a criminal case you would need to speak with the Court Administrator to be placed on the Criminal Ex Parte calendar. If the warrant is on a civil case you would need to speak with the Clerk's office to be placed on the Civil Ex Parte calendar.

12. Why do I get two billing statements from your office for my criminal fines / fees?: Once you have been sentenced by a Superior Court Judge your fines and fees are entered into the Statewide computer system. Staff at the State mail out these statements and if you are or have been under the Department of Corrections' supervision you will receive a bill for that and one bill from the Clerk's office for the fines and fees from your sentencing.

13. How long before I get a warrant for not paying my criminal fines / fees?: If you do not pay your fines and fees each month you may be sent to a collection agency any time after 30 days has lapsed.

14. Can I speak to the Judge or Commissioner outside the courtroom about my case?: No, the Judge or Commissioner may only discuss your case in open court.

15. How can I get the interest waived on my criminal fines / fees?: You may present a written motion and order to have your interest waived to the Clerk's Office. The Judge will review the request and present a written decision to grant or deny your motion. The other option is to pay off your principal balance and request your interest be waived when you make the payment. The Clerk's Office staff will then request an Order from the Judge to have the interest balance waived.

16. What do I need to bring to my court hearing?: Pen and paper, any documentation such as proposed Orders to present to the Judge/Commissioner, records pertaining to your case that you would refer to during your presentation to the court. If you are going to want copies of any documents entered in your case you will need to bring money to purchase them. Please see our fee schedule for costs to obtain regular or certified copies.

17. May I fax my documents to you for filing?: No, we do not accept fax filings, you would need to mail them or have them delivered to our office.

Double-check your pleadings for completeness and signatures.
Double-check your pleadings to insure the case title and case number are on the heading.
If you have multiple cases that you want to file a document into, you will need to supply one for each case. We do not make copies of pleadings to file in each case. It is up to the party to provide one for each case they want the pleading filed in.
Include the vital statistic and confidential information sheet when filing new divorce cases.
Always have your case number ready when calling for information or when you come into our office to file documents or inquire about your case.