Ada County - Court Assistance Office

The Court Assistance Office (CAO) is a clearinghouse to access legal services and other resources for those involved in family law cases and certain other civil (non-criminal) court matters. The Court Assistance Office has videos available for viewing regarding Family Law, Domestic Violence, Small Claims and the Idaho Court System. Pamphlets covering a variety of civil proceedings are on display in our lobby.

The Court Assistance Office is on the first floor, window 12 or 13, in the Ada County Courthouse and Administration building located at 200 West Front Street. The phone number is (208) 287-6963.

If you have questions about filling out the forms or want to make an appointment for assistance in completing the forms call 287-6944. We can can also review your forms before you file them with the court at our office. The Court Assistance Office is opened from 8am to 5pm.

Use the links on the left to get to different pages of this site. Most of the forms are interactive. This means that you can enter your information on your computer and print the form without downloading. On interactive forms, just click your pointer in a space and then use the tab key to navigate through the required fields.

The forms on this web site are for use in Ada county and may be different from forms used in other counties in Idaho. If you need forms to file in another county in Idaho you may find them at the Idaho Supreme Court, Court Assistance Office Project website.

All Court Assistance Office instructions, links to resources and pamphlets can be found under Information.

Fee Waiver, Probate, Small Claims, Civil and Traffic/Criminal forms can be found under Miscellaneous Forms.

If your case is contested and ends up going to court, please check your local library for the book Representing Yourself in Court by Bergman, Bergman, and Barrett for helpful information and tools on courtroom conduct.

Please Note: Files formatted in Portable Document Format (PDF) require the Adobe Acrobat Reader to access. You can download the free reader directly from Adobe.

Warning: Talk to An Attorney, If Possible
The materials and assistance you receive at the Court Assistance Office are not a substitute for legal advice. The laws and court rules are complex. Following instructions and using the forms provided to you will not guarantee a favorable result. It is always advisable to talk to a lawyer about your problem before proceeding on your own.
If you cannot afford to hire an attorney to represent you, you may be able to pay a lawyer to give you advice and review your paperwork for a lesser cost. Contact one of the attorneys listed on the Court Assistance Office Attorney Roster for assistance. Or, contact the Idaho State Bar Lawyer Referral Service (208-334-4500) for the name of an attorney in your area who will provide an initial consultation for no more than $35. Also, contact the Idaho State Bar or your Court Assistance Office for information about limited services representation. The Court Assistance Office maintains a "Legal Services Directory" with information about resources for low-income people. Even if you do not hire a lawyer to represent you throughout the proceeding, a lawyer can look over your paperwork, give you advice on how to present your evidence, and tell you whether this type of action is right for you.

These forms have not been reviewed or approved by the Idaho Supreme Court. Individual judges may not accept certain forms, or may require them to be modified. A court assistance officer or court clerk may be able to give you additional information as to whether the judge assigned to your case has indicated approval or disapproval of the usage of any of these forms. However, neither the court assistance officer nor court clerk can advise you how to fill out the forms. Some information on filling out the forms can be found in the instructions. For more information you should either arrange to attend a workshop conducted by an attorney, call the Idaho Law Foundation's Legal Resource Line (1-877-228-6601), or consult a private attorney.