§ 1062.20.Interactive Computer System to Assist Pro Per Litigant
Title 14. Of Miscellaneous Provisions · Chapter 10. Computer Assistance · Enacted 1995 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 1062.20 authorizes each California court, under Judicial Council rules, to set up an interactive computer system helping self-represented litigants prepare standardized court documents for specific case types, and to provide standardized legal and procedural information, funded by fees the court may charge.
(a)In accordance with rules and policy of the Judicial Council, each court may establish and operate an interactive computer system to enable and assist a pro per litigant to prepare standardized pro per court documents for use in the following civil actions:
(1)Enforcement of court orders, including orders for visitation, child custody, and property division.
(2)Landlord and tenant actions.
(3)Uncontested dissolution of marriage.
(4)Probate of a will.
(b)The computer system may also provide standardized information to users, including, but not limited to, information regarding calculations for child and spousal support payments that meet the requirements described in Section 3830 of the Family Code, court procedures, rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants, and alternative dispute resolution.
(c)The court may contract with a private entity to establish and operate the program and collect any fees described in subdivision (d).
(d)The court may establish and collect fees from the program not to exceed the reasonable costs to establish and operate the program.
Plain-English Summary
This section gives courts discretionary authority to modernize self-help resources for people representing themselves. In accordance with Judicial Council rules and policy, a court may establish and operate an interactive computer system that helps a self-represented litigant prepare standardized court documents for enforcing court orders on visitation, custody, and property division; landlord-tenant actions; uncontested marital dissolutions; and probate of a will.
Beyond document preparation, the same system may deliver standardized information to users, including child and spousal support calculations that meet Family Code requirements, general court procedures, landlord and tenant rights and responsibilities, and information about alternative dispute resolution.
Courts are not required to build or run this technology themselves. A court may contract with a private entity to establish and operate the program, and either the court or that private operator, through the court, may charge fees to fund it, capped at the reasonable costs of establishing and operating the program.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are California courts required to offer this kind of computer assistance system?
No. Section 1062.20 says each court may establish and operate such a system; it is discretionary, subject to Judicial Council rules and policy.
What kinds of cases can this system help with?
Enforcement of court orders such as visitation, custody, and property division; landlord-tenant actions; uncontested dissolution of marriage; and probate of a will.
Can the system provide information beyond preparing documents?
Yes. It can provide standardized information including support payment calculations, court procedures, landlord-tenant rights, and alternative dispute resolution.
Can a court charge for using this system?
Yes, the court may establish and collect fees, but they cannot exceed the reasonable costs of establishing and operating the program.
Amendment History
Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 507, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1996.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as:california court self help computer systempro per litigant document assistance program california