Who is entitled to copies of court documents or to inspect a file
Parties to a Case and their Lawyers
All parties to a case and their lawyers on record are entitled to copies of documents from a court file or to inspect a court case file.
If a lawyer has recently commenced acting for a person and they have not filed any documents with the court, they should file a Notice of Address for Service (see downloads on this page).
Other Persons
In special circumstances and with approval from a Registrar of the court, other persons may receive specific documents from a court case file or inspect a court case file for an approved legal purpose.
Other persons may also act as an agent for a party to a case, to request and receive documents from that party's court case file provided the agent supplies to the court written authority from the party to do so.
Requests must be in writing
Requests for copies of court documents or to inspect court case files must be in writing and include the signature of the party, lawyer or person requesting the documents or inspection.
Requests without a signature will not be processed.
Where a person, who is not a party or lawyer to a case, is acting as an agent to request and receive documents on behalf of a party, they must have the party complete Part E of the "Request for Supply of Court Documents" form or attach a signed written authority from that party to do so.
Persons are encouraged to use the forms "Request for Supply of Court Documents" or "Request to Inspect Court File" from the downloads section on this page, however a signed letter or fax request is acceptable provided the request includes the following:
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Full name and contact details of person requesting
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Full names of the parties to the case, including birth dates if known
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Court file number if known
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Date and place of marriage if applicable
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Date of separation and divorce if applicable
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Details of the document(s) being requested or file to inspect
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Brief reason for the request, and if not a party or lawyer to the case, a statement of their legal interest and purpose of the request.
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Signature of person requesting
Requests can be sent to the court by:
Post:
Senior Records Officer
Family Court of WA
GPO Box 9991
PERTH WA 6848 |
Fax:
Senior Records Officer
Family Court of WA
Fax: (08) 9224 8360 |
Requests are not to be sent by email.
Document Request Fees
Copies of Divorce Certificates and court orders are currently supplied free of charge.
Copies of all other documents attract a fee of $1.00 per page for photocopying if the total number of pages exceeds 10 pages. If a fee applies, the court will contact you by phone to advise of the amount to be paid.
Inspecting a Court File
Arranging the inspection appointment
Upon receipt of a written request to inspect a court case file, the court will contact the requester by telephone to arrange a date and time for inspection.
Urgent Inspection
If an urgent inspection of a court case file is required, the requester must telephone the court on 08 9224 8205 to arrange an inspection date and time in advance, however the requester must bring a written request with them to the court on the day of inspection.
Personal Identification
All persons inspecting court case files must produce identification such as a driver's licence, passport, bank cards, etc.
Inspection Room
The inspection room is located on the ground floor of the court off the foyer opposite the public counter.
Only parties to a case, their lawyers or other persons authorised by the court are permitted into the inspection room.
For security and courtesy reasons, mobile phones are to be switched off and kept inside bags or brief cases. The viewing room is monitored by camera surveillance at all times.
A photocopier is also available. Charges for copying are 0.50c per page for persons doing their own copying and $1.00 per page if copying is done by court staff.
Enquiries About Requests
All telephone enquiries about requests should be directed to the Records Section of the court on 08 9224 8205.
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