Communicating with Friend of the Court

Telephoning the Friend of the Court

Use the general information number. The receptionist will transfer the call to the appropriate person. When calling, please be brief and to the point. The telephone receptionist may answer some questions, they may transfer the call to the appropriate person, or they may say quite honestly: "The Friend of the Court doesn't handle that."

The Office of the Friend of the Court receives a large volume of telephone calls and because Friend of the Court records are confidential, employees frequently end up telling many callers that they cannot assist them over the phone. Try to understand the procedures and functions before you call. It is probably a fair statement that people are not at their best during divorce proceedings. Try to remember that it may require an extra effort to make a memorable impression.

If the necessary Friend of the Court employee is unavailable, the call will be automatically connected to the employee's voice mailbox. Please leave a detailed message and the phone call will be returned, generally within 48 hours. The volume of telephone calls received is staggering, so please be patient.

Case Number

The case name and case number will not change. The case name remains the same regardless of name change. The case number is like a social security number; and will be needed in any contact with the Friend of the Court Office. It is required on all correspondence; memorization of this number is highly recommended.

Writing to the Friend of the Court

To include communication in the court file, be sure to write to the Friend of the Court. Phone messages are not always included in the court record and if it is something that should be filed, such as information regarding loss of employment, write it. 

When writing the Friend of the Court, please use full size writing paper (8 1/2 by 11 inches). Include name, address, phone number if available during business hours, case number, and identity of the paying party. The volume of mail received by the Friend of the Court is staggering so please be patient if a reply is required