Valpro Attorney Services serves summonses, complaints, subpoenas, eviction papers, family law papers and small claims in Newman, on the west side of Stanislaus County. Newman is an incorporated city with its own city hall and police department. The 2020 Census counted 12,351 residents on about 2.1 square miles of land.
Newman requests are handled from our Sacramento office, about 93 miles north in a straight line. You send the papers online and get status updates by email.
A ZIP Code area that crosses into Merced County
Newman sits close to the Merced County line, and its mailing area runs across it. According to the Census Bureau's 2020 ZCTA to county file, ZIP Code area 95360 covers about 62 square miles of land, split like this:
| County | Share of 95360's land |
|---|---|
| Stanislaus County | About 76.5% |
| Merced County | About 23.5% |
The ZCTA to place file shows how little of that land is in town:
| Part of ZIP Code area 95360 | Share of the land |
|---|---|
| Newman city | About 3.3% |
| Crows Landing CDP | About 0.8% |
| Outside any city or Census-designated place | About 95.9% |
All of Newman city lies in 95360 and in Stanislaus County. About 30% of the Crows Landing CDP's land falls in this ZIP Code area too. The rest of the area is outside any city or CDP, governed partly by Stanislaus County and partly by Merced County.
ZIP Code areas only approximate postal ZIP Codes, but the lesson for service is real. A "Newman, CA 95360" address outside the city may be in Merced County, which has its own superior court and sheriff. When you send a rural Newman address, tell us which county the parcel is in if you know it. If the case belongs in Merced, see our Merced County page.
Three Stanislaus courthouses, depending on the case
Stanislaus Superior Court sorts cases by type rather than by city. For a Newman case filed in Stanislaus:
| Case type | Courthouse | Straight-line distance from central Newman |
|---|---|---|
| Unlawful detainer, small claims | Turlock Division, 300 Starr Avenue, Turlock | About 16.1 miles |
| General civil; probate estates, trusts and conservatorships | City Towers Courthouse, 801 10th Street, Modesto | About 22.3 miles |
| Family law, child support, guardianships and LPS conservatorships | Main Courthouse, 800 11th Street, Modesto (family law clerk at the "I" Street entrance) | About 22 miles |
The court lists weekday hours of 8:15 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at each of these locations. Attorneys e-file civil, family and probate cases under Local Rule 1.14, and self-represented parties may still file on paper. Our Stanislaus County court filing service handles either route.
The judge assignment and the case management notice
Two local rules decide what a Newman defendant receives with a new civil complaint.
The judge stamp. Under Local Rule 3.00.1, most civil cases are randomly assigned to one judicial officer for all purposes, including trial. The clerk affixes a notice to the face of the complaint and to the notice of case management conference: "This case has been assigned to Judge ___, Department ___ for all purposes including trial." The copies served on the defendant should show it.
The conference notice. Local Rule 3.02(B) has the plaintiff file form CV-003, Notice of Case Management Conference, when the case is filed. The court sets the conference about 120 to 150 days after filing. The plaintiff, and any cross-complainant, gives notice of it to each defendant or cross-defendant at the time of service.
Collection cases. Limited jurisdiction collection cases skip the conference unless the court orders one. Under Rule 3.02(C), the plaintiff files the local Case Management Conference Waiver form, the clerk assigns a trial date, and the plaintiff gives notice of that trial date to each defendant at the time of service.
So the service set for a Newman defendant is the summons, the complaint with the assignment stamp, and either the CV-003 notice or the trial date notice. Send all of it in one upload.
Phone appearances and orders to show cause
Rule 3.02(D) lets parties appear by telephone unless the court orders them in person. Notice goes to the court's listed telephonic appearance provider and to every other party: no later than two court days before a case management conference, and by 4:00 p.m. the court day before a law and motion hearing, an order to show cause re dismissal, or an OSC to counsel.
When the court issues an order to show cause, Rule 3.04 says responsive papers are filed and served at least five court days before the hearing. The court can impose sanctions or dismiss a pleading. If those papers need to reach a Newman party by hand, give us the hearing date with the request.
Newman evictions, filed in Turlock
Newman landlords file unlawful detainers at the Turlock Division, 300 Starr Avenue, where the court keeps a drop box for small claims and eviction papers. Stanislaus also requires its local Notice of Review form with each new eviction complaint, so check that it's in the file before service starts.
The tenant's answer is due 10 court days after personal service, according to the Judicial Council's self-help guide. Send the name of every adult occupant and any unit letter. For a rural property with more than one dwelling, describe which house the tenant lives in, and say whether the parcel is on the Stanislaus or Merced side of the line. A Merced-side rental is a Merced County case.
Papers to serve in Newman?
Family law for Newman households
Family law cases for Newman residents are filed at the family law clerk's office at the Main Courthouse in Modesto, at the "I" Street entrance. Two Stanislaus rules affect what we serve.
The case management packet. Under Local Rule 7.04, the court sets each dissolution, nullity, legal separation, domestic partnership and parentage case for a case management conference about 150 days after filing. The petitioner serves the notice of that conference and a blank case management conference statement on the respondent. The parties must meet and confer at least 30 days before the conference, unless both are self-represented and a restraining order bars personal contact.
Emergency and domestic violence orders. Local Rule 7.13 sends family law ex parte orders to the clerk for delivery to a family law judge. If a dissolution or paternity case is already open in Stanislaus, a request for a domestic violence restraining order is filed on form DV-100 under the existing case number. A move-out or stay-away request needs a detailed declaration, including whether each party currently lives at the residence.
Once a judge signs temporary orders, the restrained party has to be served with them, the request and the hearing notice. For a Newman respondent, send all of it with the hearing date and a photo or description, and choose Rush.
Probate notices for a Newman estate
Probate estates are filed at City Towers in Modesto. Stanislaus Local Rule 8.12 says a petition to administer an estate must be published under Probate Code section 8120, and a defect in publication continues the matter and requires republication. Rule 8.13 reminds counsel that Probate Code notice methods vary, from posting and mailing to publication and personal service, and must be checked for every petition. When a petition or order calls for personal service on an heir or other person in the Newman area, send the notice, the petition and the hearing date.
Small claims for Newman residents
Small claims cases are filed and heard at the same Turlock courthouse. The limit for an individual is $12,500, according to the Judicial Council's eligibility page. The claim must be served at least 15 days before the hearing, or 20 days if the defendant is served in another county. That longer deadline applies if a Newman-area defendant lives on the Merced side of 95360.
Stanislaus Local Rule 3.22 says small claims are heard at the earliest possible date, so continuances are granted only for good legal cause and for a reasonable time. Plan service so a continuance isn't needed. Under Rule 3.19, a party who doesn't appear at the hearing may have the claim dismissed, or the trial may go ahead without them. The court's Small Claims Advisor takes questions by phone and email under Rule 3.21. Our guides to who can serve papers in California and to the proof of service cover the next steps.
Serving the City of Newman
When the city is a party, Code of Civil Procedure section 416.50 controls: a public entity is served by delivering the summons and complaint to its clerk, secretary, president, presiding officer or other head of its governing body.
Newman City Hall is at 938 Fresno Street, with a mailing address of P.O. Box 787. The city's general contact page lists hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, closed holidays. The Administration Department's page lists 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aim for the shorter window.
Farm and rural addresses around Newman
Almost all of the 95360 area lies outside the city, on unincorporated county land. For a rural Newman address, include:
- The road and nearest cross road, and which side the house is on.
- The county, Stanislaus or Merced, if you know it.
- Which structure, when a parcel has several houses or outbuildings.
- Gate details, and any dogs or livestock.
- A workplace, such as a job in Newman, Gustine, Patterson or Turlock.
AB 747 takes effect on January 1, 2027. From then, three good-faith attempts at personal delivery on 3 different days at 3 different times show reasonable diligence for substituted service (CCP § 415.20(b)(2)). Our AB 747 guide explains the rest. For a farm business or other company, service usually goes to the agent for service of process on file with the Secretary of State; see serving corporations. If a person has moved, skip tracing can look for a current address.
Sending Newman papers
- Open a Service Request and upload up to 5 PDFs.
- Include the CV-003 notice or trial date notice with a new civil case.
- Say which county a rural address is in, if you know.
- Choose Rush or Standard, and tell us if we're also filing in Turlock or Modesto.
Call 855-582-5776 or email Service@ValproAttorneyServices.com with questions. We make no guarantees for service.
Near Newman
Straight-line distances from central Newman:
- Gustine (4.5 miles), across the line in Merced County
- Patterson (13.3) and Turlock (15.9), home of the Turlock Division
- Livingston (17) and Los Banos (20.1), both in Merced County
- Ceres (19.8)
The rest of the county is on our Stanislaus County page.