How to File in Deschutes County Circuit Court

Chloe Meltzer | March 11, 2024

Melissa Lyken
Legal Expert
Chloe Meltzer, MA

Chloe Meltzer is an experienced content writer specializing in legal content creation. She holds a degree in English Literature from Arizona State University, complemented by a Master’s in Marketing from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo.

Edited by Hannah Locklear

Hannah Locklear
Editor at SoloSuit
Hannah Locklear, BA

Hannah Locklear is SoloSuit’s Marketing and Impact Manager. With an educational background in Linguistics, Spanish, and International Development from Brigham Young University, Hannah has also worked as a legal support specialist for several years.

When you successfully file your court documents ^^

Summary: You can file your court documents with Descbutes County Circuit Court through the mail, in person, or via e-file. Here is SoloSuit's guide on filing with Deschutes County Circuit Court.

In the state of Oregon, circuit courts are trial courts that handle all types of cases (this means the court has general jurisdiction). In other words, Deschutes County Circuit Court, and other circuit courts throughout the state of Oregon, deal with criminal, civil, domestic relations, traffic, juvenile, small claims, violations, abuse prevention act, probate, mental commitments, adoption, and guardianship cases. So, if you are being sued in Deschutes County, chances are your case will be filed with the Circuit Court there.

Here is everything you need to know about how to file documents with the Deschutes County Circuit Court, how the county's Justice Court and court appearances function, and helpful resources that will guide you during hearings or trials at the courthouse.

File court documents in Deschutes County Circuit Court

If you are looking to initiate a case in the Deschutes County Circuit Court, the first document filed is usually called a Complaint or Petition. Oregon has statewide filing fees for most types of court filings, whether it's initiating a case or responding to one.

If you are not an attorney, you can file a court document in the Deschutes County Circuit Court by using one of the following three methods:

  1. Send the document in the mail with a check for the filing fee. The court's mailing address is 1100 NW Bond Street, Bend, OR 97703.
  2. Drop the document off at the courthouse at 1100 NW Bond Street, Bend, OR 97703 and pay the filing fee there.
  3. Use the courts electronic filing system, OJD eFile.

If you have been sued in the Deschutes County Circuit Court, the first step to fighting back in the case is to respond with a written Answer. You can file the documents yourself, or SoloSuit can file for you.

Prepare your documents for filing

One of the most common types of cases handled by the Deschutes County Circuit Court are regular civil cases. These involve debt lawsuits. If you've been sued for a debt that you owe, follow these six tips to draft an Answer that will increase your chances of winning the case:

  1. The Answer isn't the place to tell your side of the story in detail. Instead of using an elaborate story to respond to the lawsuit, your Answer should focus on responding to the claims listed in the Complaint document. Keep it simple. You can admit, deny, or deny due to lack of knowledge.
  2. Deny, deny, deny. Most attorneys recommend that you deny as many claims as possible, forcing the debt collector to do more work to prove their side of the case.
  3. Include affirmative defenses. These are any legal reasons that the debt collector should not win the case. A common affirmative defense used in debt lawsuits is the statute of limitations, which is the time period that a debt collector has to sue someone for a debt. If the debt is past the statute of limitations, then the lawsuit is void.
  4. Use standard formatting or “style”. At the head of the Answer document, be sure to include a caption where you list the court information, party information, and case number.
  5. Include a certificate of service. It's important to serve your Answer to the debt collector. At the end of your Answer document, include a certificate of service to verify the address you used to serve the debt collector.
  6. Sign it. Most courts reject any legal documents without signatures, which is why this last step is so crucial.

SoloSuit can help you draft and file an Answer in all 50 states.

Check out this video to learn more about these six tips:

How to pay for filing in Deschutes County Circuit Court

There are a few methods to pay for your fees in the Deschutes County Circuit Court. You can use:

  • Major credit cards
  • Debit cards
  • eChecks
  • Checks
  • Cash

Payments submitted online are processed by Point and Pay. You can make credit card payments over the phone as well.

Understanding Court Appearances

In the Deschutes County Justice Court, during the 7-day grace period, you can make a court appearance. These take place in Redmond on Mondays at 9 am and 5 pm, as well as Wednesdays at 9 am. You can arrive up to 20 minutes before your scheduled court time in order to check-in.

Instead, if your citation lists Sisters or La Pine court sessions, then you should consider the following:

  • Court sessions at the Sisters locations are held on the third Wednesday evening of even months.
  • Court sessions at the La Pine location are held on the first Wednesday of odd months.
  • You are not required to appear in person for violation of court appearances. Instead, you can send or drop off a letter to the court within 7 days of your scheduled appearance. This should be to request an appearance or to be rescheduled.
  • Defendants who appear in writing get the same consideration as a personal appearance.
  • Expect the judge to make a decision and mail you the disposition. This is why it is essential that the court has the correct mailing address.
  • It is possible to pay the fine online, by mail, or by calling in.

Probate court vs circuit court

The term probate court is a common term that refers to the probate division located within a state or county courthouse. In the state of Oregon, the Circuit Court is the level of court where matters of probate are handled. The Deschutes County Circuit Court is listed as a registered probate court within Deschutes County, Oregon. In almost all parts of Oregon, there is at least one Circuit Court courthouse location in each county. In some cases, there are even multiple courthouses and probate locations.

Who to speak with when visiting the probate court

When you arrive at the Deschutes County Circuit Court, there should be signs that can lead you to the probate division. This is within the main courthouse but has its own area. There are reception desks with people who can point you to a probate clerk or probate judge.

The probate clerk at Deschutes County Circuit Court may or may not require appointments based on the schedule of that day, so it is recommended to call ahead.

You may also want to get there early in the day, as parking can be limited. There are plenty of security measures upon entering the building because, as a courthouse, the buildingit is both state and federal property. Expect to go through a metalthrough metal detector and have all of your belongings searched. This may also include not being able to bring in your cell phone. Be sure to turn it off before entering, or consider leaving it outside.

Bring these helpful resources when you visit the Deschutes Circuit Court

If you are going to a hearing or trial at the Deschutes County Circuit Court and not sure what to do for the first time, it can be stressful. Be sure to prepare with the following:

  1. Cash or checkbook
  2. Paperwork
  3. Evidence such as photos, witnesses, bills, receipts, contracts
  4. Govt. issued ID

What is SoloSuit?

SoloSuit makes it easy to fight debt collectors.

You can use SoloSuit to respond to a debt lawsuit, to send letters to collectors, and even to settle a debt.

SoloSuit's Answer service is a step-by-step web-app that asks you all the necessary questions to complete your Answer. Upon completion, we'll have an attorney review your document and we'll file it for you.

Respond with SoloSuit

"First time getting sued by a debt collector and I was searching all over YouTube and ran across SoloSuit, so I decided to buy their services with their attorney reviewed documentation which cost extra but it was well worth it! SoloSuit sent the documentation to the parties and to the court which saved me time from having to go to court and in a few weeks the case got dismissed!" – James

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