Ecourts Portal User Guide: Magistrates Court of Western Australia
Ecourts Portal User Guide: Magistrates Court of Western Australia
Magistrates Court currently provide two effective methods of electronic lodgment via
the eCourts Portal. For real estate agents and parties who are representing
themselves that would benefit from guided lodgment, it is recommended you
commence your initiating claim via the Magistrates Court Online Forms.
It is recommended you seek independent legal advice in relation to your matter and
to address any concerns you may have. You may wish to seek assistance from a
Community Legal Centre (CLC). The Community Legal Centres Association (WA) Inc.
is the peak organisation representing the 28 Community Legal Centres operating in
Western Australia which provide free or low cost help to the community. The
Community Legal Centres Association can be contacted on telephone (08) 9221 9322
during office hours or via email.
If you choose to proceed and represent yourself it is very important that you
understand the rules and legislation that govern the Magistrates Court’s civil process.
Magistrates Court registry staff may be able to provide you with procedural advice but
they cannot advise you how to conduct your action or give you legal advice based on
the facts of your case.
A reference point for additional information that may be of benefit are the fact sheets
located on the Magistrates Court website.
Legal Aid.
2. eLodgment
From 30 March 2020, all documents within the civil jurisdiction of the Magistrates
Court, with limited exceptions, may be lodged electronically via the eCourts Portal.
This user guide will assist you in lodging via the eCourts Portal. There are significant
benefits to using the system. You will be able to lodge your documents from home at
any time and you will also be able to view your court file within the portal.
If you don’t have the internet or a computer at home you may wish to use local
libraries or community centres; however, there may be costs involved for use of that
service.
3. Definitions
The online system where a document can be lodged and viewed with the Magistrates
Court, where parties receive official communications of a party lodging a document on
their case; a place where the parties can see upcoming hearings; be notified of
hearing outcomes; and receive communications from the court (by eDistribution).
eDistribution
• Is the party a registered user of the eCourts Portal? If yes, then the Court will
distribute their documents/ notices/ sealed court orders/ letters to their portal
Inbox.
• If the party is not a registered user of the eCourts Portal, does the party have a
preferred delivery method of email? If yes, send link to that document via
email.
• If the party is not a registered user of the eCourts Portal, does that party have
a preferred delivery method of Post? If yes, print the document and manually
post the physical documents.
eFile
eLodgment
eLodgment is the term used to describe the lodging of a document in the Magistrates
Court of Western Australia electronically, using an online system (the eCourts Portal).
eLodgment is also used in the Supreme and District Courts.
Rendered document
Is a document created by the system based on data entered into the fields as
prompted by the form specifications at the time of lodgment.
Uploaded document
You can return to the eCourts portal home page by selecting the “House” icon located
at the top left of your screen.
• Internet access;
• Google Chrome browser; and
• Email.
The eCourts portal and eLodgment is supported by and optimised for Google Chrome.
You may use other browsers but we recommend you use Google Chrome. If you do
not currently use Chrome it can be downloaded.
01. From the eCourts Portal home page click on the Register a new account button.
04. If you are a legal representative, specify that you are a law firm.
06. As it is a new account, leave the currently registered law firms fields blank.
The Print Form page is displayed with a completed system login request form.
08. Review the form and if all the data is correct click the Print Form button.
10. Scan the form and then email it to the CTG Helpdesk.
11. If you are not a law firm, and are a self-represented litigant that is not a party to
an existing matter, select the individual option and complete the required information
fields.
Note: This screen contains a Captcha code that consists of numbers and letters that
must be entered before you select the submit option.
CTG will email you a link to manage your password. Click on the manage password
link to be redirected to password set up.
Note: Do not register for a new eCourts Portal account for every initiating
matter. Simply log into your existing account to initiate additional matters.
In the event you are wanting to change your password you can do so by logging into
the eCourts Portal and located on home page is the Manage My Account
functionality. The drop down option of Manage my account enables you to select
Change my Password.
Confirmation of the account password reset will be emailed from the CTG Helpdesk.
All notifications and incoming documents from the court will be sent to the email
address linked to the account.
You are able to pay the lodgment fees on fee-attracting documents in the courts
Portal. Fees may be paid by credit card or by direct debit. You are not able to pay by
cheque.
NOTE: Credit card details are not stored for security reasons.
If you would like a direct debit card linked to your account please contact the CTG
helpdesk on 9425 2645 and provide the following details:
• Account Name;
• BSB Number; and
• Account Number.
A receipt will automatically be issued for every payment made. Your receipt is stored
electronically against the relevant batch in the eCourts Portal where it can be viewed
on screen or printed out
01. Go to [Link]
04. Note: If you have not registered as an eCourts Portal user or have not signed in
you will be prompted to do so at this point.
06. The step by step process will assist you in assembling your application.
07. Once you have completed your application and reviewed the summary of
information provided, select to lodge and pay online. Online forms will accept a
MasterCard or Visa.
08. Once your payment is processed you will be provided with a receipt number as
well as your matter number
09. Continue on by selecting Download Receipt and Documents. This will take you to
the next page where you can download a copy of your document and any service
copies you are required to serve if you selected the Claimant service type.
11. You can search by date range and select to view the document.
12. Once you have selected view you will be directed back to the online forms screen
where you can download your document and service copies.
As of 30 March 2020, all documents within the civil jurisdiction, with limited
exceptions, must be lodged electronically using the eCourts Portal.
Once your document is accepted for lodgment by the Court you will receive a notice
in your eCourts Portal inbox that the document, with lodged stamp affixed and in
certain cases a seal, is available for download. If you have lodged a document that
requires a hearing, a notification of the assigned hearing date will be appended to the
document returned to your inbox. Parties to the matter will then be able to view the
document name and contents from the matter file in the eCourts Portal.
The usual rules of service as prescribed in the Magistrates Court Rules still apply.
Additionally you can seek further clarification by accessing Fact Sheet 8 – Serving a
Court Document, located on the Magistrates Court website.
Documents lodged using the eCourts Portal may be lodged at any time. The eCourts
Portal is operational 24 hours a day 7 days per week. Documents lodged before
midnight on a particular date that are accepted for lodgment will be considered
lodged on that date.
Standard Magistrates Court opening hours are 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday
excluding public holidays. Please be aware individual locations may have varied
hours. Documents lodged by means other than the eCourts Portal must be presented
within those hours to be considered lodged on that date.
Rendered documents are created by the system. Most originating documents are
rendered. A user enters the text into the fields within the system and the document
is created in a pdf version of the court form.
Do not insert a form into a text field. It will appear as though you have a form within
a form.
You are able to preview a rendered document in PFD format prior to lodgment. It is
recommended that you review your documents within the preview function to ensure
the content is accurate and rendered. If your document has not been lodged in
accordance with the Rules, then it may not be accepted for lodgment. Please contact
your nearest court registry if you require assistance.
Form templates are prescribed in the Rules of the Court and users should refer to
these templates when creating their documents. Form templates are available on the
Magistrates Court website.
In the majority of instances, you will be required to complete the form template, save
a copy to your computer/ electronic device and upload that form when lodging in the
eCourts Portal. The court refer to this as a complete upload. Please refer to the ‘List
of Documents available for electronic lodgment’ on the Magistrates Court website if
you need to clarify if a template is required.
Complete upload documents are required in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx).
The system will convert these documents to searchable PDF format before they are
viewed by the Court. Please note that the Court cannot amend documents on your
behalf.
The Court accepts electronic (or typed) signatures on its documents but a copy with a
written signature must be retained and produced on the Court’s request.
The file size for a document must not exceed 200MB. A volume of an affidavit, and its
attachments must not exceed 250 pages. An exhibit can’t be lodged electronically and
must be lodged at a Magistrates Court Registry Counter.
Some documents, including all originating documents and documents which require a
court listing, are reviewed by the Magistrates Court registry before being accepted for
lodgment.
When a document is accepted for lodgment, users will receive notification that the
document is available in the eCourts Portal. You will be able to view, download and
print a copy of the document that is stamped with the Magistrates Court seal, time of
lodgment and case number.
The date and time of Lodgment is the date and time the document was lodged in the
eCourts Portal. It is not the date and time the document was processed in the
Magistrates Court registry.
If your document is refused for lodgment, you will receive a notice from the Court to
your eCourts Portal inbox.
When the eCourts Portal is unavailable, you can lodge your documents in accordance
with the Magistrates Court Rules
When you lodge documents with the Court via the eCourts Portal you do so in
batches. You can submit multiple documents in one batch. The documents contained
in the batch can relate to different matters.
The originating document will need to be processed and accepted for lodgment before
you can lodge subsequent documents.
The eCourts Portal allows you to search for and view your pending batches and your
lodged batches. Pending batches contain documents that have been created but not
lodged. There is no time limit on pending batches. They will remain pending until you
either lodge the batch or delete it.
In accordance with the Magistrates Court Fee Regulations 2005, parties to a civil
proceeding may be eligible for a fee reduction. A fee reduction must be completed for
each fee bearing document.
A Party may apply for a fee reduction on the basis of financial hardship or in the
interest of justice. These applications require approval. To apply, please refer to the
section lodge an application to reduce fee below.
For further information regarding eligibility please contact the court registry.
The jurisdiction is selected. The division is set to Civil and you are required to select
your location.
03. Either click on the Please select the type of document to be lodged drop
down, scroll through the document list and select Application to Reduce Fee; or click
into the field, type a key word from the document’s name (such as fee) and then click
on the document when it appears.
If you have a phone number, fax number and an email address recorded against it in
the court’s system then these details automatically populate.
07. The details entered upon registration of your account default into the contact
information.
A summary screen showing the party entered (along with their role and named
position) appears.
Once you have named the document, it will appear below the ‘upload selected file’
button.
The Batch Details screen appears. The document can now be lodged. There is no fee
to lodge this document.
19. Lodge the document and note down the court reference number for the FEE
matter.
After lodgment the Court reviews the application and then records one of three
outcomes. Either they will request further information needed to assess the
application, reject the application, or accept the application and issue a fee reduction.
The Court will notify you of the outcome. If successful you can then lodge the fee
bearing document through eLodgment.
21. Select the jurisdiction, division and location where the fee bearing document is to
be lodged.
22. Click on the document type drop down field and select the fee bearing document.
23. Type the index number and year of the FEE matter.
01. Parties eligible for an automatic fee reduction must select the concession holder
checkbox on the Party Information screen pictured below. This screen will appear on
every fee bearing document lodgment.
02. From the drop down box select the applicable concession entitlement and complete
the information fields as required.
The information fields will expand depending on the selection entered and all fields are
required to be compled.
04. Read through the information and endorse the release of information section.
02. Select the jurisdiction you wish to lodge into from the drop down box.
03. Either click on the Please select the type of document to be lodged drop
down, scroll through the document list and select the relevant one; or click into the
field, type in the document’s name and then click on the relevant one when it
appears.
07. The contact details provided on registration will default in the contact information.
A summary screen showing the party entered (along with their role and named
position) appears.
10. If you need to add extra Claimants then click the Add Claimant link. As many
parties can be added as necessary.
11. Use the Edit Roles and Named Positions link to amend these fields for each of
the parties as necessary.
13. Just as was done for the first claimant/ Applicant, enter the details of the first
defendant (including the Service Type field) and then click Next.
A summary screen showing the party entered (along with their role and named
position) appears.
All the defendants/respondents to the matter have been listed and each of the parties
has the correct role and position number assigned to them.
The system displays the next screen of the lodgment wizard, though what this screen
is depends on what document type you are lodging. A commonly used screen is the
Particulars of Claim. This screen will also look slightly different depending on the
document type/jurisdiction.
The wizard has finished once the Batch Details screen appears.
17. One thing that you can also do is click the Preview link to the right of the
document.
The rendered document is downloaded and appears at the bottom of your browser.
Once reviewed close the PDF and WinZip window. Now you can choose to edit the
document in eLodgment to correct any errors, or lodge the batch.
NOTE: If you choose to add another document to the batch it must be for the same
jurisdiction/division/location of the first document.
03. Enter the Magistrates Court jurisdiction from the drop down box.
The division will auto fill to Civil and you will also need to select the applicable
location from the drop down box that applies to the originating document.
04. Either click on the Please select the type of document to be lodged drop
down, scroll through the document list and select the relevant one; or click into the
field, type in the document’s name and then click on the relevant one when it
appears.
07. As the document you are lodging is not an originating document you will need to
enter the matter reference number as provided on your originating claim.
10. Select the party(s) for who the document is being lodged.
If you have a phone number, fax number and an email address recorded against it in
the court’s system then these details automatically populate. And if a reference was
recorded against the originating document then this also automatically populates.
15. The Selected party(s) address for personal service screen appears,
The address details as originally entered for the Defendant appear. If the address
details remain current you can click next.
In the event the address details require updating, select the Modify Address option
located at the top of the screen.
18. The system displays the next screen of the lodgment wizard, though what this
screen is depends on what document type you are lodging. This screen will also look
slightly different depending on the document type.
However, regardless of what screen appears, you now must navigate through each of
them in turn and complete all fields as necessary.
19. Once all fields have been completed the document will appear in a batch in the
Batch details screen.
From this screen you can, preview before lodging, edit the document, delete
the batch, move selected to another batch or lodge the document.
20. Once the Lodge option is selected, the Lodgment Confirmation screen
appears.
A pending batch is a batch that has been created through eLodgment, but not yet
lodged.
Batches created between those two dates are displayed in the search results list.
The Status column displays either Incomplete or Ready for Lodgment. Incomplete
indicates that there is at least one document on the batch whose wizard has not been
completed. Ready for Lodgment indicates that all documents on the batch have been
completed.
05. Once the batch you wish to view is listed in the screen click on Resume.
06. If you edit the document the system displays the next screen of the lodgment
wizard, though what this screen is depends on what document type you are lodging.
This screen will also look slightly different depending on the document type.
However, regardless of what screen appears, you now must navigate through each of
them in turn and complete all fields as necessary.
The wizard has finished once the Batch Details screen appears.
07. It is recommended at this time that you click the Preview link to the right of the
document.
The rendered document is downloaded and appears at the bottom of your browser.
NOTE: If you choose to add another document to the batch it must be for the same
jurisdiction/division/location of the first document.
Not all documents have a lodgment fee, but if any of the documents on the batch do
have a fee you must authorise payment at the time of lodgment.
01. From the Batch Details you can select edit to make any changes. Preview the
document before lodging, or select to lodge the document.
If there is a fee to pay to lodge the document batch then the Payment screen
displays. It first lists all of the documents on the batch with a fee and the amounts.
02. If you have a direct debit account already setup then this appears, and to use it
click the Pay via Direct Debit button. Alternatively, you can complete the Credit
Card Payment section and then click the Pay via Credit Card button.
The system completes each stage of the lodgment process, recording each in the
Batch Processing in Progress window. Do not close the browser until the below
links appear:
View Receipt.
04. Click the View Completed Batch link to view the document batch.
If a document does need to be processed then a message will appear after clicking
View saying that it is currently unavailable.
Once the Court has issued a document, an email is automatically sent to the
email address.
This email contains details about the related matter and a link to log into eLodgment.
02. From the eLodgment home page click on the You have an unread incoming
document in the Incoming Documents section.
The ones that have not been read (i.e. viewed) appear in bold.
03. If you have a lot of notifications then the search criteria options will help find the
one that you are looking for.
04. Once you have found the relevant notification (there are also Document
Description and Matter Description columns to help) click the View link in that
notification’s row.
All matters in the civil divisions can be searched for and basic information
viewed, apart from certain restricted matter types.
01. From the eLodgment home screen click on the Jurisdiction drop down in the
Search for Civil Matters section, and select the jurisdiction of the matter you wish
to find and view.
02. The Division will default to civil and you will be required to select a Location.
03. Enter in the matter index type, number and year into the Matter Ref fields. Or
enter the full name of a party on a matter into the Party Name field.
05. If the relevant matter is displayed here then click the View link in that matter’s
row (otherwise enter new search criteria and click Search again).
• Matter title
• Matter number
• Current status of the matter
• Party List.
View link appears next to each document that has an electronic version available.
If there are a lot of documents on the matter use the search criteria to help find the
one you wish to view.
07. To view all hearings on the matter click View Hearing List.
8:15am to 5pm
Monday to Friday (except Public Holidays)
Telephone: (08) 9425 2645
ctghelpdesk@[Link]