Court Services Officer Qualifications
One has to possess a high school diploma or a GED equivalent at the very least to be considered eligible to work as a court services officer.
In addition to formal education, it is essential for people working in this position to understand the importance of being organized at all times.
Excellent communication skills along with a great ability to handle many case details at the same time are required.
Also, a court services officer has to possess considerable knowledge of legal terminology, and practices, procedures, and rules of the court.
Moreover, your technology skills need to be exceptional, as you will often be handling a wide variety of semi-technical tasks which may include printing, typing, and copying.
When working as a court services officer, one has to be able to retain information and express it when the need arises.
Some of the main duties that you will be performing when working as a court services officer include:
Court Services Officer Duties and Responsibilities
• Prepare a variety of legal documentation such as processing tickets, affidavits, and complaints.
• Assess fees and fines, receive payments, and perform cashiering services.
• Serve as primary contact for inquiries and respond to questions and queries by the general public.
• Schedule court cases by ensuring that timelines are met, and that case dockets are prepared in advance.
• Check-in parties when they arrive for trial, ensuring that all protocols and procedures are followed.
• Accept pleas, pleadings, and motions, and record all documents in accordance with the protocols.
• Prepare and administer extensions, deferred dispositions, and defensive requests.
• Process emergency protection orders, peach bond applications, and property hearings.
• Perform extensive data entry work to ensure that case information is punched into the system.
• Efficiently prepare judgments, to ensure that they can be read on time.
• Draft correspondence, and perform research of files and records to ensure that they are appropriately placed.
• Complete court forms, including petitions and warrants, and collect fines and court fees.
• Balance cash drawers to ensure that any discrepancies are handled immediately and urgently.
• Administer oaths to litigants, witnesses, and lawyers before the beginning of a trial.