Ex Parte Procedure

An ex parte action is a judicial action on the behalf of one party, without notice to or contestation by any person adversely interested. Such an action may take place on or off the bench, but does not necessarily result in a signed order.

Cowlitz County Superior Court does not have a formal ex parte docket. Each day a judge is assigned to review and sign ex parte orders as availability allows. The Clerk's Office will present ex parte orders on your behalf. You can mail or drop off the original motion and order to the Clerk's Office, along with copies to be conformed, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. A fee of $30 will be due at the time of submission, which is payable by cash, law firm check,  or cashier's check. If you are presenting orders in multiple cases, a separate $30 fee will be due for each case. We will present the order to the judge and return your conformed copies to you using the provided self-addressed stamped envelope. You may also elect to pick up your orders once they are processed and ready for pick up. This process may take up to a week and the Clerk's Office will not attempt to locate your order until it is received back in this office. 

There is no fee if you do not want the Clerk to conform copies of your order. Copies of your signed order will not be available until it is entered and scanned into our case management system. You may also choose to prepay for certified copies of the order. 

For additional information or if you have questions, please email us at Clerk@cowlitzwa.gov or call us at (360) 577-3016.

IMPORTANT
  • Conforming means that the Clerk will stamp your copy with the endorsed filed stamp, the date, the judge's name, and any modifications made by the judge. 
  • The cost to have the Clerk conform copies of your order is $30.
  • There is a separate $30 fee for each case being reviewed.
  • A fee is not required if you do not want the Clerk to conform copies of your order.
  • You must provide copies to be conformed. The Clerk's Office will not make copies for you.
  • The Clerk's Office will not search for your order to find out where it is or what judge is reviewing it.
  • The Clerk's Office will not notify you when your order has been signed. It is recommended that you provide a prepaid envelope.
  • The Clerk's Office will not incur a cost to mail your order. You must provide a prepaid, self-addressed envelope if you want your copies mailed.
  • If you choose not to pay for ex parte, your order will not be available until it has been processed and entered by the Clerk's Office. 
  • Rather than pay the ex parte fee, you may choose to prepay for certified copies of your order. You must include a prepaid, self-addressed envelope.