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Referring to Local Court registries

Frequently Asked Questions about the Courts Service Centre and Local Court registry.

  • Key issues

    • Do you have a matter in a NSW Local Court?
    • Do you need to complete a from or file a document?

How can the Courts Service Centre help?

Courts Service Centre is the main telephone line for most NSW courts. They can assist you with several enquiries including:

  • jury enquiries
  • new or existing court matters
  • procedural information about court
  • court fines. 

The Courts Service Centre telephone phone number is 1300 679 272. 

For contact details for each court registry, see Court locations, listing and sitting arrangements on the Local Court website.

How can Local Court registry staff help?

The Local Court registry staff can provide procedural information on Local Court matters. They can also help you:

  • apply for an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) and Property Recovery Order
  • apply for urgent AVOs including when there has been an injury to a person and/or damage to their property
  • find out when Local Court proceedings have started 
  • with information or assistance with forms
  • when telephone assistance may be difficult
  • by witnessing certain court documents (registry staff cannot witness Power of Attorney or Enduring Guardianship forms).​

Can the Local Court registry provide legal advice?

The Local Court registry staff do not provide legal advice and can't:

  • tell you whether you should start a case
  • explain what might happen if you start a case
  • tell you what court to start a case in
  • tell you what to say in court
  • represent you in court
  • speak to the court on your behalf.

For more information, see What information can court staff give? on the Local Court of NSW website.

Can the Local Court registry help me with my docum​ents?

The Local Court registry staff may be able to help you prepare some documents for Local Court matters, including:

  • applications to start legal proceedings (where the application is straight forward)
  • applications for Apprehended Violence Orders (AVOs) and property recovery orders
  • Defences, Notices of Motion to Stay Proceedings and Notices of Motion to Set Aside Judgement in civil actions (but not advice on what to say in support)
  • family law applications, except for applications filed in the Family Court or the Federal Circuit Court
  • family law Recovery Orders in limited circumstances, primarily country locations where no other service is available.

What sorts of things will the Local ​Court registry not help me with?

The Local Court registry can't:

  • give you legal advice - only a lawyer can give you legal advice
  • help you to draft complicated applications, affidavits, deeds of settlement or other similar documents
  • give you advice or assistance about forms for other courts, for example, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia
  • help you fill out Child Support forms
  • tell you what to say in court
  • appear on your behalf in court
  • arrange for you to speak to the Judge, Magistrate or Commissioner outside of court.

For more information, see What information can staff give? on the Local Court of NSW website.

How can I get help from the Local Court registry if I have a disability?

If you have a disability you should speak to court registry staff about what facilities and services you need at least a week before you have to go to court. 

The registry staff will be able to tell you how you can access the courthouse, what services the court offers and how you can request assistance from the court. 

For more information, see For people with disability on the Local Court of NSW website.

How can I get ​help from the Local Court registry if I need an interpreter?

If you need an interpreter when you go to court, you should tell the registry staff at least a week before court. If you don't contact the court in advance, you must still attend court on the day. The Court can adjourn your case until another date and arrange for an interpreter to attend. Interpreters are provided for free in criminal cases.

The contact details for the court registry should be on your court documents. If the registry staff can't organise an interpreter for you, they will tell you who to contact so that you can organise an interpreter yourself. Multicultural NSW Language Services provides interpreting and translation services. For more information, go to the Multicultural NSW website. 

For more information, see Help at court on the Ways to get help section of our website.

Last updated: November 2023