HOW TO SEARCH

Search Menu Page:

On the Home Page, select the location you want to search and select the link, Search Civil Cases.

The default location is Chancery Court, which allows you to search all Parts at once.

You can also select each individual Part as the scope of your search.

When you select Search Civil Cases, the Search Civil Cases page will display.

Search Civil Cases:

When you reach the Case Search page:

1. Select the Search By option that you wish to perform.  You will have the following options:

· Case

· Party

· Attorney

· Date Filed

2. The search parameters displayed will be based on the option you selected in the “Search By” field.  Enter the information that you wish to search for in the parameters listed.

3. After you enter the information you wish to search for in the search parameters, click the Search button.  This will take you to the Search Results screen.

4. To view case information on any case, click on the case number hyperlink on the Search Results screen (located on the left side of the screen).

When searching for case record, certain fields will be required fields.  These fields will require you to enter a value in that field in order to perform a search successfully.  The required fields can be identified with a red “+” symbol.  In addition to the red “+” symbol, these fields will have bold, red labels to help you easily identify which fields are required.

SEARCH HINTS

If you do not have all of the information you need to search for case records, there are a few tools that might help you perform your search successfully.  These tools are listed below:

· Soundex – The Soundex feature allows you to search for names that sound similar to the name you are searching for.  For instance, the system will return an individual with the last name of “Smythe” even though you performed a search for an individual with the last name of “Smith” because it sounds similar.  To use the Soundex feature, simply check the “Use Soundex” checkbox when entering you search parameters.

· Wildcard – The Wildcard feature will allow you to search for incomplete names and case numbers in the system.  This tool is helpful for when you may not know the entire case number or may not know how to correctly spell the individual’s name.  For instance, you may be searching for an individual with the last name of “Gonzales” but may not know if the individual spells “Gonzales” with a “z” or a “s” at the end of their name.  This would be a good time to use the Wildcard tool.  By performing a search for the last name of “Gonzale*”, the system will pull in all the last names that begin with “Gonzale” regardless of what the last name ends with.  This means that it will pull in both “Gonzales” and “Gonzalez”.  To use the Wildcard feature, simple put an “*” at the end of the name or case number in which you are unsure of.

There are a few restrictions when using these helpful search tools.  These restrictions are listed below:

1. You can not use the Wildcard feature and the Soundex feature at the same time.

2. You must have at least 1 character in the first name before using the Wildcard feature on a First Name.

3. You must have at least 1 character in the last name before using the Wildcard feature on a Last Name.

4. You must have at least 4 characters (other than dashes) before using the Wildcard feature on a Case Number.

AFTER YOU SEARCH

After you search for a case record, you can continue to perform additional searches.  If you wish to perform additional searches you can use the hyperlinks located in the black header.  These hyperlinks include the following:

· Search Menu – Clicking this hyperlink will bring you back to the Search Menu screen

· New Search – Clicking this hyperlink will allow you to perform an additional search in the same search area you are currently in

· Back – Clicking this hyperlink will bring you back to the previous screen you were on

· Help – Clicking this hyperlink will launch the Public Access Help dialog

FAQ

Q:  How do I use the Soundex feature?

A:  Check the “Use Soundex” checkbox when entering your search parameters.

Q:  How do I use the Wildcard feature?

A:  Place a * at the area of the Case Number, Cross Reference Number, First Name or Last Name field in which you do not know the remaining information.