Watch this demonstration of how to file and pay for a search request in RedCrest, the Supreme Court of Victoria's electronic filing system, and read the guide below.
In this video, I'll be guiding you through the steps of filing a search request and paying through PayPal.
Start off by logging into your RedCrest account.
Navigate to the eFile tab and select create a new case request. Within the new case request screen, select the case type of request to search a court file. You can now fill in the required information for party one. Please note if you enter a first name and last name, the company field is not required.
Delete party two if not required.
Select court file search request from the document type list.
Attach your request to search document and select continue with filing. If you're completing multiple requests to search, one form per file search request is required. The request to search form can be downloaded off the Supreme Court website.
You can now review a summary of your request before selecting add to cart.
Next, select submit filings and pay now to be directed to the PayPal screen.
If you have a PayPal account, you can log in here or select pay with card.
Enter your credit card details here.
Accept the privacy statement and select pay now.
You will then get the option to set up a PayPal account if you like. If not, select not now. Then your payment receipt will be displayed.
Select return to seller's website to return to the RedCrest website. Whilst logged into your RedCrest account, you can navigate to the eFile tab to view the status of all your filings.
For further information or assistance, you can find our contact details on the contact us page of the Supreme Court website.
Guide - file a search request
After logging into RedCrest, click ‘eFile’ and ‘Create New Case Request’.
Select the case type ‘Request to search a Court file or record’.
If you don't have an account register for a RedCrest account now.
For further guidance about creating a case request watch: Create a new case request.
Requestor (Party 1)
The requestor is the person, law firm or entity requesting to search the court file or record.
If there is no second requestor, you may delete party 2 in RedCrest using the ‘delete’ button on the right-hand side of the page.
Court files are generally only released to one requestor per court file request received (where applicable).
Search a Court File Application Form
You are required to complete and attach an Application to Search a Court file or Record form to the new case request you created.
If you want to view more than one Court file, you need to fill in an application form for each Court file that you want to search.
For example, if you want to search three Court files, then you will need to complete three forms.
- Up to five litigation search requests can be made using one form by listing the names you wish to search in section C of the application form.
- If you want to make more than five litigation searches, you will need to use a separate form for each group of five litigation search requests.
Select 'Court search file request' and attached the completed application form/s.
Add documents - Court file search requests
Within your New Case Request, you will need to select the ‘Add Document’ button and attach all your application forms.
For example, if you want to search three court files, you need to select ‘Add Document’ two further times so that you have three documents displayed within your filing.
Add documents - litigation search requests
For litigation search requests you will also need to select ‘Add Document’ if you want to conduct more than five litigation searches.
For example, to conduct seven litigation searches, ‘Document 1’ may be ‘Litigation search request x 5’ and ‘Document 2’ may be ‘Litigation search request x 2’.
Processing times
All requests are subject to review. You will receive an email when your request has been approved, or if the request is not approved.
Processing times will vary depending on the nature of your search request and the number of requests submitted.
Access to requests files (virtual and in-person)
Documents in the court file will be emailed to you once your request has been approved. In some circumstances, in-person attendance at the relevant Registry may be required.
Contact the relevant Registry to discuss the different inspection options that may be available to you.
Only documents approved for search will be made available to you.
Some documents on the court file may be confidential and require an Order of the Court or permission from the Prothonotary, Deputy Prothonotary or Registrar (where appropriate) before they can be released.
Litigation search results
For litigation, search requests a report containing the litigation search results will be emailed to you. If you receive a blank litigation search report.
This would generally indicate that there are no civil proceedings in the Supreme Court of Victoria involving that particular entity. Also, results may not display if there are certain restrictions on the publication of names or Court proceedings.
Information provided is for civil proceedings initiated in the Court since 1 January 1990.
Payments for file searches
- Payments submitted through PayPal are authorisations only. If your request is not approved, then your payment will transfer back to you.
- A fee is payable per court file or per litigation search. Refer to the Supreme Court fee lists.
- The fee will be raised automatically when you select the appropriate document type in RedCrest, for example when you select ‘Court file search request’ or ‘Litigation search request’.
- The fee category will default to Corporate in the first instance. Further information about Corporate, Standard or Concession court fees can be found on the fees page.
An Application for Standard or Concession Court fee form may be required if you seek to apply for a standard or concession court fee (other than the ‘standard – natural person’ fee category).
If you work for a law firm a corporate fee will generally be payable. If the request is made on behalf of your client who would be eligible for a standard or a concession court fee, then you may pay the standard or concession court fee instead.
Your client’s name must be clearly printed on the Application to Search a Court file or Record form (see Applicant details, ‘on behalf of’).
An Application for Standard or Concession Court fee form may also be required.
If you work for an agency and conducted a search on behalf of different clients, then a corporate fee is the default fee category unless your highest fee-paying client is eligible for a standard court fee.
Further information can be found on the fees page.