The Court of Common Pleas has launched a new IVR or “Interactive Voice Response” system. This service is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, and will be able to provide the following:
- Information about court services;
- Information regarding upcoming court dates; and
- The ability to make payments for fines, cost and restitution with a credit or debit card over the phone. The system can look up individuals, via voice prompt, by their name and date of birth with no case number required. This is a new feature and the IVR is currently the only payment method that allows an individual to make an automated payment without knowing their case number.The Court phone numbers for the IVR are as follows:
New Castle County: Kent County: Sussex County:
302-255-0900, 302-735-3900, 302-858-5700
This service supplements other ways that individuals can resolve court-ordered financial obligations at the Court of Common Pleas, including paying online at http://courtpay.delaware.gov using automated payment kiosks operated by the Office of State Court Collections Enforcement located at all Delaware DMV offices; or paying in person at either the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center (formerly the New Castle County Courthouse) in Wilmington, the Kent County Courthouse in Dover, or the Sussex County Courthouse in Georgetown during normal business hours.
For complete details on how to make an ePayment in all Delaware State Courts, please visit
http://courts.delaware.gov/epayment.aspx
“This new phone system will not only benefit court customers but also help the Court of Common Pleas operate more efficiently and effectively,” said Court Administrator Stephanie Fitzgerald. “Over 50 percent of the calls to the Court of Common Pleas Clerk’s Office are routine requests for information related to court dates or paying fines. By re-directing these calls to the IVR service, court staff will be freed to focus on other matters and better serve those who appear at the courthouse in person seeking assistance.”
Court of Common Pleas Chief Judge Alex J. Smalls stated this new program is consistent with Chief Justice Leo E. Strine’s call to utilize technology to enhance the delivery of court services to the public.
“The Court of Common Pleas continually strives to be as efficient and responsive to the public as possible. One of the most consistent themes in the feedback we receive is that people prefer easier and more convenient methods to obtain information from the Court and to pay their fees or other financial obligations. That is why we are pleased to now be able to offer this new IVR system to the public,” said Smalls.
