Start here
Log in to the portal →Or go to directlegal.legalconnect.com and log in with your email address and password. Use a current version of Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari. New to the portal? See our Creating a New Account guide.
What you will need
- The name, gender and last known address of the person to locate
- Any other details that can help, such as a date of birth
- The case number, state, county and court
- A court document from the case to upload
- Your billing code or client matter number, if your firm uses one
1 Click Place an Order
Log in to your account. On your dashboard, click Place an Order.
2 Choose Skip Trace
In What would you like us to do?, select Skip Trace.
3 Tell us who to locate
On the Order Info tab, fill in:
- The Name and Gender of the party or witness to locate, and their DOB (date of birth) if you have it.
- Their Last Known Address. Choose the address from the list as you type, click OK if you are asked for a unit or suite number, then click the green + button to add it.
- Any other details that can help in Special Instructions, such as phone numbers, a driver’s license number or a maiden name.
Click Next.
4 Enter the case information
On the Case Info tab, type the Case Number and press Enter (1). Then choose the State and County (2) and the Jurisdiction, the court where the case is filed (3). You can type in the box at the top of a list to find your choice. The Case Participants tab opens when you choose the jurisdiction.
5 Add the case participants
Click Add Party(s). In the Add Party box, enter the name of each party involved, such as the plaintiff and the defendant, their role, and whether they are your lead client. When you are done, click Next.
6 Upload a court document
On the Documents tab, start typing the Document Title and choose it from the list (1). Choose Starts with or Contains to change how the list is searched. If your title isn’t listed, type your own. Then click Upload from Computer and choose the file (2).
Each document you attach is listed under Title. Click Next.
6A Or upload from Clio or NetDocuments
If your firm keeps its files in Clio or NetDocuments, you can attach the document from there instead of from your computer. Click the arrow next to Upload from Computer and choose Clio or NetDocuments. Sign in if asked, then pick the file.
For the full steps, see Using Clio with Direct Legal Support or Using NetDocuments with Direct Legal Support.
7 Check the last known address
The Serve Info tab shows the person to locate (1) and the Last Known Address you entered (2). Check that it is correct, add any Special Instructions (3) and click Next.
8 Choose your service level and submit
On the Order Details tab, choose a service level under When would you like this completed? (1). If your firm tracks orders with its own number, enter it in Internal Reference Number (2). The Fee Summary shows our fee and your order total (3).
Notifications shows who gets status updates on this order (4), and Payment Method shows how the order will be paid (5). When you are ready, click Submit (6). You will receive a confirmation email.
9 Get your confirmation
An order number appears to confirm that your order was placed, with a summary of the order. Click Print Confirmation(s) to keep a record of your order.
After you order
- Follow your order under Pending Orders on your dashboard
- Find completed orders and their documents under Closed Orders
Questions? We’re here to help.
Call our Litigation Division Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific, or email info@directlegal.com. Ready to order? Log in to the portal.
Prefer paper? Download this guide as a PDF to print or save. More guides: Client Portal Guides.