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 Filing Documents

 

 United States District Court
 District of Massachusetts

 

Electronic Filing Required

As of January 1, 2006, all documents (except those expressly excluded by the Court's Administrative Procedures) must be more...   

ECF Resources

ECF Homepage

The CM/ECF Page on the Court's website has links to Administrative Procedures, Training Materials and Manuals, Instructions, and Answers more...

ECF Help Desk

For questions about electronic filing, contact the ECF Help Desk by phone at (866) 239-6233 or by e-mail more...

Registration for ECF System

As of January 1, 2006, electronic filing is mandatory in the District and every attorney or party must register as a filing user of ECF. more...

A registration form for the District is available online at the following link: . more...

Documents Excluded From Electronic Filing

The following types of documents may only be filed on paper: more...

1. Sealed documents; more...

2. Administrative records in social security cases and in other administrative review proceedings; more...

3. The state court record and other Rule 5 materials in cases filed in 28 U.S.Code 2254 proceedings; more...

4. motions and applications; more...

5. Pre-trial hearing and trial exhibits; and more...

6. Medical records. more...

ECF Administrative Procedures H(1) (). more...

Subsequent Documents in Cases With Fee Requirement

Subsequent documents that require a fee (, notice of appeal, motion for leave to appear , etc.) must be electronically filed. more...

Discretionary Electronic Filing

The following types of documents may be filed on paper, and need not be filed electronically.However, they may be scanned and entered into the ECF system by the filing party or the clerk: more...

1. The state court record filed in 28 U.S.Code 1446 removal proceedings; more...

2. All handwritten pleadings; more...

3. All pleadings and documents filed by parties who are incarcerated or are not ECF filing users; more...

4. Various criminal papers; more...

5. Appearance bonds; more...

6. Executed service of process documents under Rule 4; and more...

7. Attachments to filings. more...

ECF Administrative Procedures H(2). more...

Electronic Transmission Constitutes FIling

Electronic transmission of a document to the ECF system, together with the automatic transmission of the Notice of more...

Date of Filing is Date of Transmission

An electronically-filed document is deemed filed at the time and date provided in the Notice of Electronic Filing. more...

Affidavits and Other Evidence

Affidavits and other documents setting forth or evidencing facts on which the motion is based must be filed more...

Electronic Filing of Proposed Documents

If a party seeks leave of court to file a document or to amend a previously-filed document, that more...

Limits on Filing Size

Page Limits Apply

Electronically-filed documents are subject to the page limitations detailed in Local Rule 7.1(B)(4) or ordered by the court. more...

Limitation of Two (2) Megabytes

A filed PDF file may not be larger than two (2) megabytes. Documents "significantly" past this limit will be rejected by the ECF system. more...

Color Documents and Graphics

Filing parties must configure their scanners to scan all documents at 200 dpi and in black and white. more...

Review Scanned Documents for Legibility

The filing party is required to verify the readability of scanned documents before electronically filing them with the more...

Conventionally-Submitted Documents

Documents submitted conventionally must be served on other parties as if they were not subject to the Administrative more...

Redacted Documents

When filing an original, unredacted document electronically, the actual document should not be attached to the entry. more...

Signature

Every pleading, written motion, and other paper must be signed by at least one attorney of record in more...

Signature on Electronic Documents

The user log-in and password required to submit documents to the ECF system serve as the ECF user's more...

Multiple Signatures

If a document requires more than one signatory, it must contain each signatory's name with a "/s/" block more...

Technical Failures

A filing user whose filing is made untimely by a technical failure of the ECF system may seek more...

Problems on the user's end do not constitute technical failures and will not excuse untimely filings.If a user cannot file electronically because of problems at his end, he must file the document conventionally more...

Electronic Service

Notice of Electronic Filing Evidence of Service

When a party files a document using the ECF system, the system will automatically generate and send a more...

Electronic Service and Certificate of Service Required

Unless exempt or otherwise ordered by the court, all papers must be served on other parties by electronic more...

Contents of Electronic Certificate of Service

An electronic certificate of service should contain the following or similar information: more...

"Certificate of Service more...

I hereby certify that the document(s) filed through the ECF system will be sent electronically to the registered more...

ECF Administrative Procedures E(2). more...

Additional Three (3) Days for Electronic Service

Electronic service is treated in the same manner as service by mail for the purpose of adding three more...

The Electronic Record

Electronic Document is Official Record

The official court record is the electronic file maintained on the Court's servers and any paper documents, attachments, more...

Originals Submitted Will Be Destroyed After Scanning

A document in paper format or disk mailed or delivered to the Clerk to be filed electronically will more...

Only Clerk Can Correct Docket Entries

Only the Court can correct a docket entry. If a document is filed incorrectly, the filing party must contact the clerk with the case number and more...

Retention of Paper Copies

Unless otherwise ordered by the court, paper copies of documents that were filed on paper and scanned into more...

Orders and Judgments

Electronically Filed

All signed orders will be electronically filed. Orders signed and filed electronically have the same force and effect as if the judge had affixed his more...

Paper Copies

The clerk's office will provide a copy of the Notice of Electronic Filing along with paper copies of more...

Text-Only Entries

A judge may grant routine orders with a text-only entry on the docket entitled "Electronic Order." In such cases, no PDF document will be produced; the text-only entry will constitute the order and counsel more...

Electronic Submission of Proposed Orders Permitted

Proposed orders may be submitted electronically in PDF format. The court may request that a party submit proposed orders in word processing format on a disk or more...

As Exhibit or In Body of Stipulation

Every proposed order, other than those filed by the government pursuant to 18 USC 3161(h)(8)(a), must be either more...

Filing Initial Papers

All ECF filers registered in the District of Massachusetts must file civil case opening documents, such as a more...

Fee Schedule

The District's schedule of statutory and miscellaneous fees is available online at . more...

Telephone Directory

A telephone directory for the District is available online at . more...

Court Locations and Contact Information

Court contact information and locations are available online at . A schedule of the lobby hours for drop box filing is also provided at this link. more...

Documents to Be Filed Traditionally

Sealed Documents

Sealed documents should be filed and clearly labelled as sealed, accompanied by an appropriate motion to seal. more...

Ex Parte Motions, Motions By CJA Attorneys For Funds, Etc.

Such motions should be filed as hard copies and treated in the same manner as sealed documents (though more...

Alternative Dispute Resolution Documents

Except for the Order of Reference to ADR and subsequent reports from the ADR Provider, all documents generated more...

File Notice of Filing

If a party submits a document conventionally, he must electronically file a Notice of Filing and must attach more...

The District does not specifically provide for or proscribe fax filing. However, a filing party should consult the clerk of court for additional information if he wishes to file more...

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