Amador County Superior Court — eFiling Frequently Asked Questions

1. IS THERE A GENERAL ORDER THAT GOVERNS EFILING? No. eFiling is governed by Code of Civil Procedure (CCP) §1010.6(b) and California Rule of Court (CRC) §2.250 – 2.261. The Court suggests that litigants read these resources before reviewing the frequently asked questions (FAQ). 2. HOW DOES EFILING WORK? Electronic filing of court documents occurs through an electronic filing service provider (EFSP). The user creates an account and the eFiling system manages the flow of the documents to and from the Court. The filer will submit the documents and fees to the EFSP for submission to the Court. The Court will accept or reject the documents. The documents are returned to the EFSP for return to the filer through the EFSP’s electronic filing portal. 3. IS EFILING MANDATORY? No. eFiling is not mandatory at this time. 4. I AM A SELF-REPRESENTED LITIGANT. DO I HAVE TO EFILE? No. Self-represented litigants are not required to file documents electronically. 5. WHAT ARE THE TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR DOCUMENTS BEING EFILED? Please refer to the Superior Court of California, County of Amador Local Rules of Court, at Chapter 1 – General Rules. This section sets forth all the Court’s requirements for the formatting of the documents. 6. HOW DO I SUBMIT DOCUMENTS EXEMPT FROM EFILING? Documents that are exempt from eFiling can be submitted for filing in person at the Clerk’s Office or by mail. There is also a drop box available, at the courthouse, for filings outside of public counter hours. 7. IS EFILING THE SAME AS FAX FILING? No. eFiling is not the same as fax filing. For eFiling, the filing party must submit the documents electronically through an EFSP. For fax filing, the documents are scanned and sent over via a fax machine or an electronic fax. 8. IS FAX FILING STILL AVAILABLE? Yes, Fax filing will still be available. 9. IF I DECIDE TO EFILE, DO I HAVE TO USE AN EFSP? Yes. Unless you are filing Domestic Violence (DV) and Gun Violence (GV) related filings, an EFSP must be used for eFiling. You can find a list of approved service providers on the Court’s public website at: https//amador.courts.ca.gov/ 10. WHICH EFSP CAN I USE? You may use any EFSP listed on the Court’s website at: https://amador.courts.ca.gov/ 11. WHY DO I HAVE TO REGISTER FOR AN ACCOUNT WITH AN EFSP? Registration with an EFSP is required to establish an account for your electronically filed documents. Your account will allow you to check the status of your electronically filed documents and will provide a path for the Court to return your documents to you. 12. CAN I CHANGE MY EFSP AFTER I HAVE CHOSEN AND REGISTERED WITH ONE? Yes. You may choose any approved EFSP. You may change to a different service provider at any time. Selecting and using an EFSP is like using an “attorney service” for filings, except the filings are processed electronically. 13. IS THERE A COST TO EFILE? Yes. The EFSP will charge for eFiling and all fees are collected by the EFSP when the filing is submitted. EFSPs have different provider fees, depending on the services being requested at the time of filing. Please refer to your selected EFSP for their provider fees. These fees are in addition to the filing fees charged by the Court. Refer to the Court’s official fee schedule for more information about filing fees. There are no transaction charges for parties who are requesting or have been granted a fee waiver nor Government Code §6103 agencies (i.e. the state, county, city, public officer, etc.). 14. WHAT TYPES OF PAYMENTS DO YOU ACCEPT? Payments are made via the EFSP. Please check with the EFSP of your choosing for specific information regarding payment types. 15. DO COURT-APPOINTED ATTORNEYS HAVE TO EFILE AND PAY THE FEES FOR EFILING? Absent a fee waiver or exemption under Government Code §6103, fees are required for all filings, including filings from court-appointed attorneys. 16. ONCE I EFILE A DOCUMENT, WHAT IS THE TIME FOR PROCESSING? Turnaround time will depend on the type of document submitted. The Court attempts to confirm the filing or receipt of documents within two (2) business days. Proposed orders, writs, abstracts, and other documents requiring review and/or further action by the Court may take longer than two (2) days to process. Documents submitted with appropriate fees and free of defects that do not require a signature from the Court will be filed as of the date the document was received. 17. WHAT ARE THE FILING HOURS FOR EFILING? You may submit your filings electronically 24 hours a day. Any eFiling received by the Court before midnight will be deemed received or filed on the same business day if accepted. Any eFiling submitted after midnight will be deemed received or filed as of the next business day if accepted. You may check with your EFSP if you have questions about the timeliness of your submission. 18. WHAT DO I DO IF MY DOCUMENT IS REJECTED? Any Notice of Rejection sent by the Court will include the reason for the return of the document. If your document is rejected, correct the deficiency, and resubmit the document via eFiling. If the document is not timely filed because of the rejection or filing error, you will need to apply to the Court for relief or other corrective order. 19. WHAT IS AN “ELECTRONIC ENVELOPE”? An Electronic Envelope is a transaction containing one or more PDF documents submitted through the EFSP to the court for filing or processing. 20. WHAT IS A “FILING DOCUMENT NAME”? A Filing Document Name (also known as Document Code) refers to the type of filing (e.g., answer, demurrer, motion, etc.) and is displayed by the EFSP to its users to properly designate the document(s) upon submission. Using the correct Filing Document Name is extremely important as it determines the appropriate fee and court workflow. The court has made every effort to develop a comprehensive list of document names that closely match the types of documents that may be submitted and are displayed in the drop-down menu when entering filing information in the EFSP. 21. WHAT IF I CANNOT FIND THE DOCUMENT NAME FOR THE DOCUMENT I AM EFILING? If the document you are eFiling is not specified in the list of document names, you must use the name of the document that most closely describes your filing. Some EFSPs may allow you to use a generic document name with name extension and fill in the name extension field. For example, use “Motion (Compelling Compliance)” or “Brief (on Attorney’s Fees)” and add the specific title of your document. There is also a comments field if you need to include any additional explanation for the eFiling staff. Please contact your EFSP if you believe the document type needed is unavailable. Please be advised that using an incorrect document name/name extension may result in rejection, incorrect filing fees assessed and/or incorrect routing of your document. For example, if you are attempting to eFile a “Motion for XYZ” and you select “Brief (Name Extension)” as the document name, your submission would be rejected. 22. ARE ANY DOCUMENTS EXEMPT FROM EFILING? Yes. Please refer to the Superior Court of California, County of Amador Local Rules of Court for more information on documents exempt from eFiling. 23. WHY IS A “LEAD DOCUMENT” NECESSARY? If multiple documents are submitted in one transaction, the Lead Document is the one that is most important. For example, if you are filing a motion with a supporting declaration and a proof of service, the motion would be the lead document. It is important to properly identify the lead document as this will affect the priority and timing for processing by the Court. Also, it ensures that the document is directed to the appropriate location or court personnel. 24. WHERE DO I FIND MY TRANSACTION NUMBER? The transaction number appears as the “Reference Number” or “Court Transaction ID” on your confirmation of filing. Please be prepared to provide this number if contacting the Court for information on a pending submission. 25. WHAT IS A “BOOKMARK” ON A DOCUMENT? A bookmark is a PDF document navigational tool that allows the reader to quickly locate and navigate to a designated point of interest within a document. A description will be required for each bookmark, such as was the case in paper documents when using Tabs to label attachments. An example is as follows: "Exhibit P - Dissomaster Printout" 26. WHAT IS A “HYPERLINK”? A hyperlink is an electronic link that provides direct access from one distinctively marked place in a hypertext or hypermedia document to another in the same or different document. 27. WHERE IS THE “FILED” STAMP LOCATED ON AN EFILED DOCUMENT? The Court is utilizing a filed stamp which will appear on the top of the first page of the eFiled document returned to the electronic filer (eFiler) through the EFSP. If a document is received, a received stamp will be placed on the top of the first page. 28. HOW WILL I KNOW TO WHICH JUDICIAL OFFICER MY CASE IS ASSIGNED? The assignment will be stamped on the case initiating document. 29. CAN I EFILE A COMPLAINT OR PETITION WITH A FEE WAIVER APPLICATION? Yes, the initiating document and fee waiver application will be processed at the same time. These documents along with the lodged order must be submitted in the same envelope as separate documents. 30. ARE MOTIONS AUTOMATICALLY SCHEDULED BY THE EFILING SYSTEM? Hearing dates will be assigned at the time the moving document is received and processed by the court. 31. HOW SHOULD I SUBMIT MY MOTION AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS? When submitting motions with supporting documents, each document may be included in the same transaction or envelope. However, all documents, including any proposed order, must be submitted as separate searchable PDF documents. 32. IN WHAT FORMAT SHOULD I EFILE MY PROPOSED ORDER? Submit your proposed order in a text searchable PDF. 33. HOW WILL I RECEIVE A COPY OF MY PROPOSED ORDER? The proposed order will be marked “Received” and electronically transmitted back to the submitting party by the EFSP. 34. HOW WILL I BE NOTIFIED WHEN MY PROPOSED ORDER IS SIGNED? Once a proposed order is reviewed and signed by a judicial officer, the signed and filed order will be available for access through the online case portal. 35. WHEN SHOULD PROPOSED ORDERS BE EFILED SEPARATELY? Any motion, request, or application (including an ex parte application) should have the proposed order included in the same envelope. The proposed order must be a separate PDF document. (Judicial Council Forms excepted). Note: A proposed order should be eFiled separately if directed by the judicial officer to submit one after a hearing or if a proposed order is not submitted with the motion, request, or application (including an ex parte). 36. MUST I FILE A PROOF OF SERVICE IF I ELECTRONICALLY SERVE? Yes. A Proof of Service must be eFiled pursuant to CRC rule 2.251(j)(1) - (3). 37. HOW CAN I DESIGNATE MY DOCUMENT AS AN EX PARTE FILING? The eFiler must select “ex parte” as the document type during the eFiling process. All ex parte filings will be expedited. 38. CAN I EFILE A CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENT? The filer may not establish a document’s security level. In other words, a document submitted as “confidential” by the filer will only become confidential pursuant to legal authority or if that determination is made by the Court. For example, a limited civil unlawful detainer complaint would automatically be filed as a confidential document pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure §1161.2. 39. CAN I EFILE MY RESTRAINING ORDER REQUEST OR RESPONSE? Yes. Attorneys and self-represented litigants may eFile their document(s) requesting or responding to a restraining order. Restraining Order requests and responses may also be conventionally filed by attorneys and self-represented parties. 40. IS THERE A FEE TO EFILE A RESTRAINING ORDER REQUEST OR RESPONSE? The Court does not charge a fee to file the Request or Response on a Domestic Violence matter. 41. CAN I EFILE EVIDENCE EXHIBITS TO USE IN MY COURT HEARING? No. At this time, the court does not accept digital evidence via eFiling. 42. CAN I EFILE DOCUMENTS TO BE LODGED WITH THE COURT? The Notice of Lodgment may be eFiled, but the actual lodged documents to be returned and which are not “filed” shall be submitted in paper to the court. 43. I AM A LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDER, CAN I EFILE ON BEHALF OF FILER? Self-represented parties have the option to eFile. The system does not prevent a legal service provider from submitting filings on behalf of the party. The registered filer will receive conformed copies back from the court and will have portal access to the electronically filed documents. 44. WHAT ARE COMMON REASONS FOR REJECTION? In addition to failing to follow California Rules of Court rules 2.100 et seq., some common reasons a filing may be rejected by the Court include, but are not limited to: a. Documents are not submitted as separate PDFs in the same transaction/envelope, e.g. multiple documents are submitted as a single filed document. b. Information entered in data fields is incorrect or does not match the document image, e.g. the incorrect Filing Document Name is selected, case number does not match. c. Party’s name or address does not match the party’s information stated on the document. d. Incorrect payment statement is selected, e.g. fee waiver or Government Code §6103. e. Incorrect case type or case category selected. f. Incorrect court is selected. g. Duplicate submission. h. Document is not bookmarked and/or text searchable in compliance with CRC rule 2.256. 45. HOW DO I CORRECT AN ERROR IN FILING? Depending on the type of filing, you may file an amended pleading, or apply to the Court for relief or other corrective order. If a motion is filed in error, notify the Court that the motion will not be going forward as scheduled. 46. CAN I CANCEL A TRANSACTION AFTER SUBMISSION? No. Once the transaction is electronically submitted, it cannot be cancelled. 47. WILL THE COURT ELECTRONICALLY SERVE OTHER PARTIES FOR ME? No. The Court will not electronically serve other parties on behalf of another party. Contact your EFSP for options. 48. CAN I USE AN EFSP TO ELECTRONICALLY SERVE OTHER PARTIES? Yes. EFSPs offer this service for a fee. Refer to the specific EFSP’s website to determine which service best fits your business needs. Code of Civil Procedure §1010.6 states in pertinent part: (a) A document may be served electronically in an action filed with the court as provided in this section, in accordance with rules adopted pursuant to subdivision (f). 49. DOES IT MATTER WHAT DPI (DOTS PER INCH) IS USED WHEN SCANNING A DOCUMENT? Yes. The Trial Court Records Manual recommends 300 DPI resolution. 50. DO I NEED TO SCAN A DOCUMENT THAT INCLUDES AN ORIGINAL SIGNATURE? No. Retention of original signed documents is governed by CRC rule 2.257 and Code of Civil Procedure §1010.6. 51. SHOULD A DOCUMENT BE PASSWORD PROTECTED? No. Documents should not be password protected and will be rejected if the content cannot be viewed. 52. CAN JUDICIAL COUNCIL FORMS BE EFILED? Yes. Judicial Council forms are fillable and can be uploaded for eFiling. 53. WHAT ARE THE FILE SIZE LIMITATIONS FOR EFILING? The Court technically has no limit. However, the EFSPs may have restrictions. Check with your EFSP. 54. WHAT IS THE PROCESS WHEN AN EFILED DOCUMENT EXCEEDS THE FILE SIZE LIMIT? If the document exceeds the size limit established by your EFSP, it will be sent back to the eFiler with an error message such as, “File size too large – please reduce and resubmit.” If your document or transaction exceeds the limits, contact your EFSP for assistance or file with the Court through conventional means. 55. CAN I PAY JURY FEES VIA EFILING? The initial fee for the jury demand can be paid via eFiling by selecting the “Notice: Jury Fees” document type during the eFiling process. The $150 fee will be assessed with that document. Please contact the Clerk’s Office for more information about payment of daily jury fees during an ongoing trial. 56. HOW DO I OBTAIN A CERTIFIED COPY? Certified copies may be requested from the Clerk’s Office by first class mail or in person, but not through eFiling. 57. HOW CAN I REQUEST A REFUND? Submit a letter in writing to the Clerk’s Office to request a refund. Requests may be eFiled, submitted in person at the Clerk’s Office window, or via U.S. Mail. The request will be reviewed by the Court. Be sure to include in your request the name, address, and contact information for the payee and as much information regarding the payment as possible. Fees for eFiled documents will be refunded pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure §411.20 and Government Code §6159. 58. WHAT ARE THE QUALIFYING REASONS FOR A REFUND? Refunds will be processed for the following reasons: • Fees were inappropriately charged by the Court. • Fees were inappropriately charged due to Court system errors. • Fees were inappropriately charged to a party after a fee waiver has been granted. • Fees were inappropriately charged to an agency that is exempt per Government Code § 6103. • Fees are ordered refunded by the judicial officer. 59. TO WHOM WILL THE REFUND BE ISSUED? If the refund is being requested for an eFiled transaction, the refund will be returned to the entity that made the payment for the eFiled document (typically the EFSP) in order to comply with Government Code §6159. 60. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MY REFUND BEING DENIED AND REJECTED? The first point of contact for any question should be the EFSP. If the question cannot be resolved with the EFSP, the EFSP will contact the EFM vendor. If the question cannot be resolved with the EFSP or the EFM vendor, the EFM vendor will contact the Court to resolve the issue. 61. WHO CAN I SPEAK WITH IF I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A FILING? The first point of contact for any question should be the EFSP. If the question cannot be resolved with the EFSP, the EFSP will contact the EFM vendor. If the question cannot be resolved with the EFSP or the EFM vendor, the EFM vendor will contact the Court to resolve the issue.