Frequently Asked Questions
What are the computer requirements?
The eCourts Portal of Western Australia is only supported on Chrome. If you are using a browser other than Chrome, you may experience issues with the site.
Where can I get more information about the Court's procedures?
Fact Sheets are available on the Magistrates Court website. Alternatively, contact the relevant Court Registry directly.
I have completed the document lodgment, what happens next?
Depending on which form you lodged, and the information entered by you, either you, the Court, or the Bailiff will have to serve the documents to the other party(s). Refer to the fact sheet on serving a court document.
If you have selected Claimant Service, the service copies are available in your eCourts Portal account or contained in an email sent to your registered email address.
What happens next depends on how the other party responds to the claim, if a response is required. They may admit to claim; provide notice of intention to defend; ignore the claim; or be required to attend a hearing. Refer to the fact sheet Understanding civil proceedings for further information.
Is the eCourts Portal secure?
The site has security protection and encrypts data that passes over the Internet.
What are the fees?
The system will calculate the Court fee based on the type of application and distance travelled for serving documents (if the Court is required to serve your documents).
The system will show the fees payable on a summary screen at the end of the process. Refer to the Magistrates Court Fees schedule, for further information.
Do I have to attach detailed documents?
Many initiating forms do not require or allow supporting documentation to be attached during lodgment but may be required later in the process.
If the form you are lodging requires or allows a document to be uploaded, it should be clearly visible and be readily identifiable by the name of the document.
How long will the system keep unlodged documents?
Unlodged documents are generally available for up to 12 months. The expiry date of the document will be displayed next to the saved lodgment.
How long will my account be valid for?
Your account may be need to reactivated following periods of inactivity. A user is generally able to re-activate their account through a link provided when trying to log in.
If I have computer problems during the lodgement process, will this affect lodgement?
The lodgement process is run from the Courts Systems and may take a few minutes. As soon as you have provided payment details and proceeded to the next step, the system will process your document independent of your computer system.
You can login later, and retrieve a document where lodgement is in progress to see the status of lodgement.
What do I do if electronic lodgement fails?
The failure message that is displayed will usually tell you what you need to do.
If you receive an error message, you generally need to contact the Courts Technology Group Helpdesk on (08) 9425 2645 from 8:15am to 5pm Monday to Friday (except Public Holidays). Or you can send an email.
If you are directed to contact a Court Registry for assistance, you may wish to take a screenshot of the message which may enable the Court to better assist you.
How do I know that the document was successfully lodged?
You will receive confirmation that the document has been successfully lodged. You will receive a receipt number for payment and a matter number at the end of the lodgement process.
In addition you will be able to download an invoice/receipt and the claimants copy of the document - that include the file number and the seal of the Court.
Contact
For enquiries concerning Court processes, contact the relevant Court Registry directly.
The Court cannot provide legal advice.
For issues concerning registering or logging into an eCourts Portal Account; or regarding error messages, please contact the Courts Technology Group Helpdesk on (08) 9425 2645 from 8:15am to 5pm Monday to Friday (except Public Holidays). Or you can send an email.
Last updated: 28 April 2025