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CM/ECF
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Electronic Filing?
The electronic filing system streamlines the process of creating, filing and
noticing legal documents by permitting attorneys to file
documents with the Court and deliver them to opposing parties directly from
their computers using the Internet. It has the potential to provide substantial
savings to attorneys, their clients and the Court while improving access to
Court records. Benefits include: 24 hour access to file or view documents;
immediate creation of docket entries; immediate access to updated docket sheets
and to the documents themselves; potential elimination of paper files that can
be misplaced or lost; potential savings in copying, courier and noticing costs;
and the ability to store and search documents electronically.
What do I need to file electronically?
Systems requirements are minimal and
inexpensive. All that is needed is a personal computer (PC clones and Apple
Macintosh computers work fine), an Internet connection, the Netscape Navigator
browser (version 4.76 or higher) or Internet Explorer (version 5.5 or higher)
and software to convert text documents into Portable Document Format (PDF) such
as Adobe Acrobat Writer 4.0 or Adobe Acrobat Exchange 3.0 or higher. In
addition, attorneys may need a scanner for imaging documents to be filed
electronically that are not available in electronic format. Portable
Document Format (PDF)
is the key to the system because it makes all documents viewable in their
original format on any computer regardless of whether they were scanned or
created by a word processor and irrespective of the type of computer or word
processing software used by the individual who created them or by others who
wish to view them.
How does electronic filing work?
To file electronically, attorneys create their
documents on their computers just as they normally do. Instead of printing the
document on paper, however, attorneys save it in a portable document format that
can be read by others with all formatting intact regardless of the type of
computer or word processor they use. Attorneys then access the electronic filing
system through their Internet provider over the World Wide Web. After
establishing their identity by providing a Court assigned user identification
name and password that serves as their signature for electronically filed
documents, attorneys indicate the case number that their document applies to,
the party the document is being filed on behalf of and the type of document
(answer, motion, etc.) being filed. The document is then sent over the Internet
to the Court's computer which immediately sends a receipt back to the attorney's
screen verifying that the document has been received. The receipt can be printed
or saved to disk for future reference. Additionally, the system automatically
creates a docket entry and makes both the updated docket sheet as well as the
document itself instantly available to anyone with access to the Internet. The
system also serves e-mail notification of the filing to all the parties.
How do I get started?
In order to file electronically, an attorney
must be admitted to practice before the Court and must have previously
registered to file electronically. Registration will begin later this
year. Keep watching the web site for additional information on
registration.
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