California Court Summary

The California trial court system consists of Superior Courts.

California has a unified court system, so all court proceedings are conducted in Superior Courts. Superior Courts are organized into court divisions based on case type. Divisions within a Superior Court may include Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Juvenile, Traffic, Small Claims and Drug Court.


First Name	MI	Last Name	State

I entered a partial first name above

Where to find court cases in California

The chart below gives general information on the types of cases heard in each type of court in California.

= Most or all cases.

= Some cases.

Case Type	Court Type
Civil	Superior Courts
General Civil - Unlimited
General Civil - Limited
Small Claims
Civil Equity
Complex Commercial
Foreclosures and Liens
Real Estate Title and Boundary
Landlord / Tenant
Ordinance Violations
Protection, No Contact, and Restraining Orders
Administrative Agency Appeals
Criminal	Superior Courts
Felony
Felony Preliminary Hearings
Misdemeanors
Ordinance Violations
Juvenile
Traffic and Infractions	$Most or all Traffic and Infractions cases can be found in the Superior Courts$
Domestic Relations	Superior Courts
Divorce
Child Custody and Visitation
Child Support
Paternity
Domestic Violence Protection Order
Juvenile	Superior Courts
Adoptions
Juvenile Delinquency
Child Abuse and Neglect
Termination of Parental Rights
Children in Need of Supervision
Mental Health	Superior Courts
Involuntary Commitments
Other Mental Health Cases
Probate	Superior Courts
Wills & Estates
Name Changes
Trusts
Guardianships and Conservatorships

California Courts Summary