Applying for a court order

Hello Michella,

Which exact steps you follow depends on what order you want (e.g. a Protection Order, Maintenance Order, High-Court interdict/urgent relief, small-claims matter, deceased-estate documents) and which court division handles it. Below are simple, practical step-by-step instructions + the official links to use.

Decide which court and what kind of order (High Court vs Magistrates’ Court; protection order, maintenance, urgent interdict, default judgment, etc.). The rules and forms differ by court.

Check whether the court accepts electronic filing for that type of matter.

High Court rolling out Court Online (e-filing / digital case management) for superior courts.
judiciary.org.za

Certain orders (protection orders, maintenance, deceased-estate matters) are available through the Department of Justice’s DOJ Online Services.
Justice

Download the correct forms / draft your papers (e.g. Notice of Motion + Founding Affidavit for an application; or a J101 for maintenance; Form 06 for protection orders). Make a signed, sworn affidavit if required.

Prepare a completed PDF bundle: index, notice of motion, founding affidavit (sworn), annexures (evidence), draft order — all scanned/combined into PDFs. (Court Online and DOJ portals expect neat PDFs.)
judiciary.org.za

Register / log in to the right online portal (or follow email instructions):

For High Court matters use Court Online (upload documents; request a hearing date).

For Protection/Maintenance/Deceased Estate matters use DOJ Online Services (dojonline.justice.gov.za).

Submit the filing and pay fees (if required). If you can’t pay online, the registrar will give instructions (bank transfer reference / pay at court). If unsure, ask the court registrar.

Serve the other party the documents (sheriff, registered post or as permitted by the rules — electronic service may be allowed in certain circumstances). Keep proof of service.

Attend the hearing or wait for the judge’s emailed order (urgent applications are often communicated by email and some courts will upload orders electronically). For urgent matters there are special procedures and you must set out why the matter is urgent in your affidavit.

If anything is confusing, contact the portal support or the court registrar (official contacts below).

Useful official links (go-to)

Court Online (High Courts e-filing / info & FAQ) — how to upload an application, “Application for Hearing Date” option:
https://www.judiciary.org.za/index.php/court-online
.

DOJ Online services (Protection Orders / Maintenance / Deceased Estates etc.):
https://dojonline.justice.gov.za
(and DoJ services page).

Protection order form (Form 06 J480) and guidance:
https://www.justice.gov.za/forms/dva/dv-Form06-J480.pdf
.

Uniform Rules of Court (High Court rules) — official PDF (useful for what documents to file and how):
https://www.saflii.org/images/superiorcourts/Uniform%20Rules%20of%20Court%20%5BF%5D.pdf
.

Magistrates’ Courts Rules (PDF):
https://www.saflii.org/images/magistratescourts/MCR%20%5BR%5D.pdf
.

Short checklist of what you’ll normally need

Court name + correct division (city / registry).

Right form(s) or a Notice of Motion + Founding affidavit (sworn).

Clear, chronological annexures (evidence).

A draft order (wording of relief you want).

Proof of identity (ID/passport).

PDF copies of everything, signed and dated.

Payment method for filing fee (ask registrar).

Proof of service after serving the other party.

(Forms and sample guidance: see the DOJ “Forms” pages and High Court forms link above.)

Urgent applications — extra notes

If it’s urgent (e.g. to stop imminent harm), you must explain and prove urgency in your founding affidavit (why normal timeframes will cause irreparable harm). There are specific urgent-application procedures and courts have used email/e-filing channels to receive urgent papers. Read the Court Online urgent-application guidance.

Who to contact for help

Court Online support (High Courts): CourtOnline@judiciary.org.za
(see Court Online guidance).

DOJ online services support: DojDEOnlineSupport@justice.gov.za
. See the DOJ services page for videos and registration guidance.

Local court registrar (phone or visit) — they will confirm whether your matter can be filed electronically and tell you payment/service options. (Use contact links on justice.gov.za.)
Justice

Hello Michella,

Which exact steps you follow depends on what order you want (e.g. a Protection Order, Maintenance Order, High-Court interdict/urgent relief, small-claims matter, deceased-estate documents) and which court division handles it. Below are simple, practical step-by-step instructions + the official links to use.

Decide which court and what kind of order (High Court vs Magistrates’ Court; protection order, maintenance, urgent interdict, default judgment, etc.). The rules and forms differ by court.

Check whether the court accepts electronic filing for that type of matter.

High Court rolling out Court Online (e-filing / digital case management) for superior courts.
judiciary.org.za

Certain orders (protection orders, maintenance, deceased-estate matters) are available through the Department of Justice’s DOJ Online Services.
Justice

Download the correct forms / draft your papers (e.g. Notice of Motion + Founding Affidavit for an application; or a J101 for maintenance; Form 06 for protection orders). Make a signed, sworn affidavit if required.

Prepare a completed PDF bundle: index, notice of motion, founding affidavit (sworn), annexures (evidence), draft order — all scanned/combined into PDFs. (Court Online and DOJ portals expect neat PDFs.)
judiciary.org.za

Register / log in to the right online portal (or follow email instructions):

For High Court matters use Court Online (upload documents; request a hearing date).

For Protection/Maintenance/Deceased Estate matters use DOJ Online Services (dojonline.justice.gov.za).

Submit the filing and pay fees (if required). If you can’t pay online, the registrar will give instructions (bank transfer reference / pay at court). If unsure, ask the court registrar.

Serve the other party the documents (sheriff, registered post or as permitted by the rules — electronic service may be allowed in certain circumstances). Keep proof of service.

Attend the hearing or wait for the judge’s emailed order (urgent applications are often communicated by email and some courts will upload orders electronically). For urgent matters there are special procedures and you must set out why the matter is urgent in your affidavit.

If anything is confusing, contact the portal support or the court registrar (official contacts below).

Useful official links (go-to)

Court Online (High Courts e-filing / info & FAQ) — how to upload an application, “Application for Hearing Date” option:
https://www.judiciary.org.za/index.php/court-online
.

DOJ Online services (Protection Orders / Maintenance / Deceased Estates etc.):
https://dojonline.justice.gov.za
(and DoJ services page).

Protection order form (Form 06 J480) and guidance:
https://www.justice.gov.za/forms/dva/dv-Form06-J480.pdf
.

Uniform Rules of Court (High Court rules) — official PDF (useful for what documents to file and how):
https://www.saflii.org/images/superiorcourts/Uniform%20Rules%20of%20Court%20%5BF%5D.pdf
.

Magistrates’ Courts Rules (PDF):
https://www.saflii.org/images/magistratescourts/MCR%20%5BR%5D.pdf
.

Short checklist of what you’ll normally need

Court name + correct division (city / registry).

Right form(s) or a Notice of Motion + Founding affidavit (sworn).

Clear, chronological annexures (evidence).

A draft order (wording of relief you want).

Proof of identity (ID/passport).

PDF copies of everything, signed and dated.

Payment method for filing fee (ask registrar).

Proof of service after serving the other party.

(Forms and sample guidance: see the DOJ “Forms” pages and High Court forms link above.)

Urgent applications — extra notes

If it’s urgent (e.g. to stop imminent harm), you must explain and prove urgency in your founding affidavit (why normal timeframes will cause irreparable harm). There are specific urgent-application procedures and courts have used email/e-filing channels to receive urgent papers. Read the Court Online urgent-application guidance.

Who to contact for help

Court Online support (High Courts): CourtOnline@judiciary.org.za
(see Court Online guidance).

DOJ online services support: DojDEOnlineSupport@justice.gov.za
. See the DOJ services page for videos and registration guidance.

Local court registrar (phone or visit) — they will confirm whether your matter can be filed electronically and tell you payment/service options. (Use contact links on justice.gov.za.)
Justice