Arkansas Civil Court Records Search
Civil court cases in the state deal with non-criminal legal matters. These cases include various lawsuits, contract disputes, employment disputes, various family legal matters and a multitude of other small-claims. Records are accessible by anyone in the public for most civil cases. The only exception is those cases that are sealed for privacy reasons, certain sensitive materials, and cases involving juveniles. We will go through the various types of civil cases handled by respective courts, and how to obtain copies of Arkansas civil court records.
The Structure of Arkansas Civil Courts
Civil cases in Arkansas are handled by a few selective courts, each has a specific jurisdiction on what types of cases it hears. Understanding which court handles which type of case is helpful to record retrieval and a basic understanding of the civil judicial system. Here is an outline of the various civil divisions:
District Courts: Jurisdiction: The District division handles civil cases with a monetary value of $25,000 or less. This includes small claims, landlord-tenant disputes, small contract issues, and other minor civil matters.
Small Claims Jurisdiction: Within the District division is the Small Claims division that focuses on small claims, typically $5,000 or less. These cases are typically resolved quickly and do not require the parties to have legal representation.
Circuit Courts Jurisdiction: The Circuit division is the main trial courts that handles the majority of the mid to large civil cases. They handle cases can include personal injury claims, contract disputes, property disputes, probate matters, and family law issues such as divorce and child custody. The Circuit Courts are divided by these specific cases; Civil, Probate, and Domestic Relations. The Civil division deals with general civil litigation, while the Probate division handles wills, estates, and guardianships.
Court of Appeals Jurisdiction: The AR Appeals courts deals with reviewing the decisions made by lower courts, including Circuit division, in civil cases. The Court of Appeals does perform new trials but rather makes certain that the court proceedings by the lower divisions was properly managed and there were not issues with the respective proceedings. This division will hear any civil case from the lower courts that is accepted.
Obtaining Copies of Arkansas Civil Court Records
Accessing Arkansas civil court records can be done a few different ways, depending on the type of case and the court involved. Here are the general steps to obtain copies of these records from the various state and third party resources:
1). From the Respective Courthouse: First, determine which court handled the case. For District Court cases, you’ll need to contact the specific District Court where the case was heard. For Circuit Court cases, you’ll need to reach out to the appropriate Circuit Court. For example, if you want to access Pulaski County Arkansas Court Records, you could visit the Pulaski County Courthouse website.
2). Contact the Court Clerk's Office: Each court in Arkansas has a Clerk’s Office responsible for maintaining court records and providing assistance to court services. Visiting the Clerk’s Office website, or in person, can help you find the information you're looking for. You can obtain copies by filling out a request form and mailing it in. Some courts may offer online request options, but availability does vary by location.
3). The State's Judicial Website Access: While some county courts offer online access to civil case information, many smaller courts do not have online access. If this is the situation, then you can always access records through the AR Judiciary’s Case Search Tool. This platform allows users to search for case information by party name, case number, or other identifiers. While basic information is available online, obtaining full case documents may still require a formal records request.
4). Third-Party Services: Another option is to use a third-party service to run an Arkansas civil case search. These services may charge a fee for retrieving and delivering copies of court records, but they can be convenient for those who are unable to visit the court in person. While these resources offer access to a multitude of different civil and criminal records, these are primarily used for reference and non-official searches.
How Can I Run an Arkansas Civil Case Search?
You can access civil court records from the respective courthouse website, or using the state's judicial court connect website. These various state and county resources will allow users to search for and obtain official copies of civil court case documents.
