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CM/ECF FAQs

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  • What kind of archiving system does CM/ECF have?

    The Administrative Office of the United States is currently working on archiving standards that meet the guidelines of the National Archiving and Records Administration. Currently the open and closed cases will reside on the CM/ECF server.

  • How can I dispute a transaction that is on my quarterly statement?

    To dispute a transaction for which you have been billed, or if you have a question concerning a transaction, submit the following so that your request can be reviewed:
     

    1. Complete and sign the Credit Request Form.
    2. Include a detailed explanation to support the credit request.
    3. Include the transaction details annotating those being disputed.

    Credits cannot be issued until after the quarterly statement has been generated

  • What is the cases report (in District and Bankruptcy court CM/ECF) and how do I use it?

    The cases report displays summary data for a range of cases. It can be used to produce a list of open or closed cases between a date range. For example, it can produce a list of cases filed or discharged. In addition, there are a number of options to help limit the results.

    The cases report can be found under the Reports menu option in CM/ECF. The report is NOT subject to the 30-page limit on PACER charges, so users should use caution when running the report.

  • How are electronic documents served?

    Attorneys in a case are emailed a notice of electronic filing (NEF) in district and bankruptcy cases, or a notice of docket activity (NDA) in appellate cases. The email contains a hyperlink to the document and is sent when a document has been filed or when there is activity in the case.

  • How do we know who is participating electronically on a case?

    The notice of electronic filing (NEF for district and bankruptcy courts) or notice of docket activity (NDA for appellate courts) that is emailed to the registered parties in the case, lists the parties and their preferred method of receiving the notice.

  • How do I get my free copy of newly filed documents?

    Each attorney of record in a case (including pro se litigants) will receive an email containing a hyperlink to a document that has been filed. One free copy is available to each attorney of record and any secondary address on the email information screen.

  • Why can't I see PDF documents that have been filed in criminal or social security/immigration cases through the notice of electronic filing (NEF) email or certain cases through the notice of docket activity (NDA)?

     
    Access to the PDF document may be restricted in the following instances:
     

    • Only the attorney of record in certain types of cases (e.g., Social Security, Immigration) may view PDF documents remotely;
    • In district courts, you should be able to view all criminal documents except those under seal through the NEF. However, most criminal case documents filed in district court prior to November 1, 2004, may be viewed only by the attorney of record. 
  • The electronic notice I received has a link to the docket sheet. Am I charged to view the docket sheet?

    Yes. A fee is applied for accessing a docket sheet and for any documents accessed from the link on the docket sheet.

  • I made a mistake and want to delete or edit my filing. How can I do this?

    You cannot delete or edit filings after they have been submitted through CM/ECF. If you made an error (filed in the wrong case, submitted the wrong version of a document, etc.) contact the clerk's office.

  • Are there any limits to ECF filing privileges?

    Each federal court maintains an appropriate use statement for filing logins. In addition to the local appropriate use guidelines, the following applies in all federal districts: Passwords are issued to permit electronic filing and entry of data. Extracting data from CM/ECF through any program, script, or mechanism other than those provided by the court is strictly prohibited and may result in criminal prosecution or civil action. Electronic filing privileges may be suspended if, in the judgment of the court, they are being misused.

     

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