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On January 22, 2008, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin implemented Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) system. CM/ECF is a comprehensive case management system that allows courts to maintain electronic case files and offer electronic filing over the Internet. CM/ECF enhances the accuracy, management and security of records, reduces delays in the flow of information and achieves costs savings for the judiciary, lawyers and litigants. The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts developed the software.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Electronic Filing
When will the district court start using CM/ECF?
Will it be mandatory for lawyers to use ECF?
Is a courtesy copy required?
Will I still be able to e-mail a document to the court using ecf@wiwd.uscourts.gov? Will pro se filers or pro se prisoners be able to file documents electronically?
What are the benefits of CM/ECF?
What are the costs associated with using CM/ECF?
How do I receive my one free copy of a document?
Access to CM/ECF
How do I register for CM/ECF?
Do I need both a CM/ECF password and login and a PACER password and login?
Can I use our law firm’s PACER login, or do I need to establish a separate PACER account?
Is training available?
What is the Internet address of court’s electronic filing system?
What type of software is necessary to run CM/ECF?
Can the public view cases and documents in CM/ECF?
Can the public use CM/ECF to file documents with the court?
CM/ECF guidelines
What are the rules and procedures regarding filing electronically?
Administrative procedures
User Manual
Help Desk
How do I convert a file to portable document format (PDF)?
How are initiating documents and filing fees handled?
Managing My Account
How do I add staff to my account to receive notices?
How do I change my ECF password?
What do I do if I have forgotten my ECF password?
How do I change my mailing address?
How do I receive a daily summary of notices of electronic filing?
If I set up an “Out of Office” rule in my e-mail account does that affect ECF noticing?
Miscellaneous
Which browsers are not compatible with CM/ECF?
When I print an image from CM/ECF, the right edge gets cut off.
Can customers determine how large the documents are before they are accessed in PACER and the charge that will be incurred?
How can I resolve a billing error in my quarterly statement?
Additional FAQs on CM/ECF are located at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/cmecf/ecffaq.html
Additional FAQs on PACER access are located at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/faq.html
When will the district court start using CM/ECF?
We will go live on January 22, 2008.
Will it be mandatory for lawyers to use ECF?
Electronic Case Filing will be the standard way of doing business with the District Court in the Western District of Wisconsin. Electronic filing will be mandatory in all civil and criminal cases pending on and newly filed on January 22, 2008.
Attorneys with cases pending at the end of December 2007 should be registered in order that they are ready to electronically file any document on or after January 22. In order to file a new case on or after January 22, an attorney must an ECF login and password in order to electronically file documents and PACER login and password to view documents in the system. See How to Register.
Is a courtesy copy required?
If you electronically file a pleading on the same day of the hearing, notify the clerk’s office at 1-866-241-7123 or provide a courtesy copy in advance.
After January 22, 2008, will I still be able to e-mail a document to the court using ecf@wiwd.uscourts.gov?
No. This method of electronic filing with the court will be disabled at midnight on January 21, 2008. All documents must be electronically filed by going to ecf.wiwd.uscourts.gov and logging into the new system using your CM/ECF login and password.
Will pro se filers or pro se prisoners be able to file documents electronically?
Pro se filers and pro se prisoners will not be able to file electronically, but the clerk’s office staff will scan and post their documents so the documents will be available on PACER and CM/ECF.
What are the benefits of using CM/ECF?
• Registered attorneys may file documents 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Reduction of paper, photocopy, postage and courier costs.
• Full case information is available immediately to attorneys, parties, and the general public through the Internet. This includes the ability to view electronically filed documents.
• Registered attorneys receive email notification of activity in CM/ECF cases. Email service is immediate and eliminates the costs of handling and mailing paper notices for both the court and attorneys.
• Multiple parties can view the same case files simultaneously.
• Since CM/ECF uses Internet standard software, the out-of-pocket cost of participation for attorneys is very low.
What are the costs of using CM/ECF?
There is no fee associated with electronically filing in the CM/ECF system, which requires each user to register for a login and password. Public users accessing CM/ECF through a PACER account to view documents are charged 8 cents per pages for information obtained through the CM/ECF system. There is a cap $2.40 charged for a single PDF document. The cap applies to all documents, including docket sheets and case-specific reports; however, the cap does not apply to name searches, reports that are not case-specific and transcripts of federal court proceedings. No fee is owed until a PACER account holder accrues charges exceeding $10 in a billing period. Attorneys of record receive one free electronic copy of all documents filed electronically.
How do I receive my “one free copy” of a document?
Each attorney of record in a case will receive a Notice of Electronic Filing (an e-mail message) containing a hyperlink to the document that has been filed. One free copy is available to each attorney of record and any secondary addresses listed under the email information screen. The hyperlink to access the document will expire after the earlier of these two events: the first use or 15 days. All users are advised to print or save the document during the initial viewing period in order to avoid future charges.
How do I register for ECF?
Each lawyer must complete and sign a Lawyer Registration Form, which can be accessed at http://attorneyreg.wiwd.uscourts.gov The registration form requires the Filing User’s name, address, telephone number and Internet e-mail address. Upon completion of the electronic registration form, the lawyer prints a copy, signs the form and mails it to the clerk’s office. The clerk’s office will retain this signed registration on file. To ensure that the clerk’s office has correctly entered a registering lawyer’s e-mail address in the System, the clerk’s office will send the lawyer an e-mail message which will include a login and password.
Do I need both a CM/ECF password and login and a PACER password and login?
Yes. The logins and passwords for these two systems are different. A PACER login is required for querying cases and viewing documents and is provided by the PACER Service Center. A CM/ECF login is required for attorneys to electronically file documents with the court. A CM/ECF login is provided by each local court.
May I use our law firm’s PACER login and password, or do I need to establish a separate PACER account?
A law firm’s PACER account can be used for the query component of CM/ECF. However, each attorney must maintain and use a separate CM/ECF login and password. The use of a CM/ECF login and password constitutes an attorney’s signature on a document filed with the court.
Is training available?
The court will offer lecture-style training that will explain how to use the system effectively in accordance with our administrative procedures. The court has established a Help Desk. If you need assistance or have questions, call 1-866-241-7123 or e-mail at wiwd_ecfhelp@wiwd.uscourts.gov. The Help Desk is available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
What is the Internet address of court’s electronic filing system?
ecf.wiwd.uscourts.gov
What type of software is necessary to run CM/ECF?
CM/ECF is a web-based system and only requires that participants access the site by using a compatible web-browser such as Internet Explorer, Firefox or Netscape.
Can the public view cases and documents in CM/ECF?
Yes. The public can access case data in CM/ECF unless the document has been sealed. The public can access case information by entering a PACER login and password. Because the PACER login and CM/ECF login will be different, a lawyer electronically filing documents will need both.
Can the public use CM/ECF to file documents with the court?
No. Currently access to the filing portion of CM/ECF is available to lawyers only.
What are the rules and procedures regarding filing electronically?
Administrative Procedures Governing Electronic Filing in WIWD (link)
User Manual (link)
Help Desk
For assistance with an electronic filing or electronic notice from the court’s CM/ECF system, please contact during regular business hours the Western District’s Help Desk at (866)241-7123.
For PACER questions, please contact the PACER Service Center at (800) 676-6856 or go to www.pacer.psc.uscourts.gov
How do I convert a file to portable document format (PDF)?
A document in Portable Document File (PDF) format does not require a copy of the word processing program used to create them in order to be viewed. A PDF document can be viewed by anyone with a free viewer such as Acrobat Reader, a product of Adobe Systems, Inc.
There are several ways in which you can convert a document from a word processing program (e.g., Word Perfect, Word) into the PDF format. The newer versions of some common word processors include the ability to publish a document to PDF built right into the word-processing software. In WordPerfect 9 and 10, you can click on File and then "Publish to PDF" to convert your WordPerfect file (.wpd) to PDF. MS-Word (up to version XP) does NOT have this capability). Adobe, the inventors of the PDF format, can be found at http://www.adobe.com, where you can find both the free reader version of the software, which can be used to retrieve documents from CM/ECF, and the writer version, which can create documents for posting. After you have installed Acrobat, you can make PDF files right out of your word-processing software simply by "printing" the document, and selecting the "printer" called "Acrobat PDFWriter" from the drop down list of available printers. That process will actually save a file in PDF format, with a ".pdf" file extension, on your hard drive. There are many other vendors besides Adobe who provide software to create PDF documents. Please note that the Federal Judiciary does not endorse or recommend any specific PDF software. Since there are so many different applications, and we could not depict instructions for all, we have chosen to depict all our instructions with reference to Adobe.
How are initiating documents and filing fees handled?
The court has not activated the feature that would allow attorneys to file new cases. The court requests that filers call the clerk’s office at 1-866-241-7123 during business hours to open a new case. The clerk’s office staff will open a shell case and provide the case number to the attorney. The attorney will electronically file PDF versions of case initiating documents (civil cover sheet, complaint, notice of removal, summons). The clerk’s office staff will assign a judge after the documents are electronically filed and the filing fee is paid.
With the implementation of ECF, the court is implementing the use of pay.gov and credit card payment. Filers are encouraged to pay the filing fee using the pay.gov feature in ECF. Otherwise, an attorney must arrangements with the clerk’s office to prepay the filing fee before a shell case is opened.
How do I add staff to my account to receive notices?
In order to add another lawyer or authorized staff member to your account to receive notices on your ECF cases, log into CM/ECF with your ECF login and password.
Click on Utilities on the CM/ECF menu bar.
Under Your Account, click on Maintain Your Account.
Click on Email Information at the bottom of the page. You can send additional notices to other email addresses by checking the box ‘to these additional addresses' and listing other email addresses in the box to the right.
After completing the information requested on the screen, click on Return to Person Information Screen.
Click on Submit.
Then, click on Submit again to complete the transaction.
You should receive a confirmation message on the screen that your email preferences were successfully updated. Make sure you keep your email address current, so you don't miss notices.
How do I change my email address in ECF?
Log in to ECF with your ECF login and password.
Click on Utilities on the CM/ECF bar.
Under Your Account, click on Maintain Your E-mail.
Modify your Primary E-Mail Address as necessary.
Click Submit.
Click Submit again.
How do I change my ECF password?
Attorneys may change their passwords by submitting a written request to the Help Desk at wiwd_ecfhelp@wiwd.uscourts.gov or call the clerk’s office Help Desk (866-241-7123) during regular business hours for assistance.
What do I do if I have forgotten my ECF password?
Attorneys may change their passwords by submitting a written request to the Help Desk at wiwd_ecfhelp@wiwd.uscourts.gov or call the clerk’s office Help Desk (866-241-7123) during regular business hours for assistance. A new password can be generated and sent to the e-mail account on record with the court.
How do I change my mailing address?
Attorneys may email a change of address to wiwd_ecfhelp@wiwd.uscourts.gov and provide a list of cases in which the address should be updated.
How do I receive notice of electronic filings in a daily summary report?
You can receive notice of electronic filings with each filing or you can request a summary report of all filings made that day. Log in to ECF with your ECF login and password.
Click on Utilities on the CM/ECF bar.
Under Your Account, click on Maintain Your Account.
Click on E-mail Information button.
Under Daily Delivery, select Summary NEF from the drop down list.
Click on Return to Person Information Screen button.
Click on Submit button to return to the Account screen.
Click on Submit button again to complete the transaction.
If I set up an “Out of Office” rule in my e-mail account does that affect ECF noticing?
Yes, if you set up an “Out of Office” message on your e-mail, please make sure that the e-mail address wiwd_ecf@wiwd.uscourts.gov is set up as an exception to the automatic reply rule set up with your “Out of Office” e-mail notice.
Which browsers are not compatible with CM/ECF?
Netscape 6.x, Internet Explorer 5.0, AOL browser, MSN browser.
When I print an image from CM/ECF, the right edge gets cut off.
After you click the print icon, click the shrink to fit box on the printer setup screen.
Can customers determine how large the documents are before they are accessed in PACER and the charge that will be incurred?
Yes. When a document is accessed, the next screen will display information regarding the number of billable pages and the related cost. To accept the charges, click on the View the Document button. The PACER costs is $0.08 per pages.
How can I resolve a billing error in my quarterly statement?
If you believe there is an error on your statement or if you have a question concerning a transaction, please write to:
PACER Service Center
P.O. Box 780549
San Antonio, TX 78278
or
Fax (210) 301-6441
All credit requests must be submitted in writing with signature. In your correspondence provide your name, PACER login ID, and the dollar amount of the suspected error(s) together with a copy of the transaction in question. Please provide a reason for each credit requested. When the PACER service center receives your request, you will be contacted by a service representative. Credits cannot be issued until after the quarterly statement has been generated.
Send Feedback
United States District Court
Western District of Wisconsin
120 North Henry Street, Room 320
P.O. Box 432
Madison, WI 53701-0432
(608)264-5156
fax: (608)264-5925
This file last modified 02/06/08.
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