diff --git a/docs/research/SOP-eLegal-filing.html b/docs/research/SOP-eLegal-filing.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3361a62 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/research/SOP-eLegal-filing.html @@ -0,0 +1,783 @@ + + + + + + SOP — File a Case Through eLegal + + + +
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Standard Operating Procedure
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File a Case Through eLegal

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+ Step-by-step instructions for filing a civil case through the county's eLegal portal using documents from the Filevine case management system. +

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+ ⏱ 10–15 minutes active work + 📄 9 phases · 44+ steps +
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Prerequisites Before Beginning

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1
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Gather Documents from Filevine
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Step 1.1
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Open Filevine and locate the case

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  1. Open your web browser and navigate to your firm's Filevine portal
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  2. In the project search or dashboard, locate and click on the correct case project (e.g., "10854 - Park Manor Apartments")
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✅ What you should see: The project page loads with a left sidebar showing sections: "Activity," "Dates & Deadlines," "Property Contacts," "Documents," etc.
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Step 1.2
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Navigate to the documents folder

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  1. In the left sidebar, click on "Documents"
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  2. You will see a list of folders (e.g., "1. Pleadings & Filed Docs," "2. Exhibits," etc.)
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  3. Click on the folder labeled "1. Pleadings & Filed Docs"
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✅ What you should see: A list of PDF files, including "CMP - Complaint," "CMP - Summons," and "CMP - Civil Case Cover Sheet"
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Step 1.3
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Download the required files

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  1. Hover your mouse over the file named "CMP - Complaint"
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  2. Click the Download icon (downward arrow) that appears next to it
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  3. Wait for the file to finish downloading (you'll see it appear in your browser's download bar or your computer's Downloads folder)
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  4. Repeat steps 1–3 for the remaining two files: "CMP - Summons" and "CMP - Civil Case Cover Sheet"
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⚡ Pitfall: Do not skip any of these three files. You will need all three to complete the filing. The court will reject your filing if any are missing.
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Step 1.4
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Open the Complaint PDF for reference

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  1. Open your Downloads folder (or the browser's download bar)
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  2. Double-click on "CMP - Complaint" to open it in a PDF viewer
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  3. Resize and position this window so you can see both the PDF and the Filevine window at the same time
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📝 You will need to refer to this document again later — for address, city, state, zip code, and damages amount. Keep it open throughout.
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2
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Initiate the Filing in eLegal
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Step 2.1
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Open the eLegal portal

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  1. In a new browser tab (or window), navigate to the eLegal portal
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  2. Log in with your credentials if you are not already logged in
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✅ What you should see: The eLegal Dashboard. Look for a large orange button in the center labeled "Initiate a New Case"
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Step 2.2
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Start the new filing form

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  1. Click the orange "Initiate a New Case" button
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✅ What you should see: A "New Filing" form with numbered sections. The first section is labeled "1. Select Court & Case Type."
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3
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Enter Court and Case Details
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Step 3.1
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Select the court

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  1. Find the "Court" dropdown in Section 1 and click to open it
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  2. Type "Alameda" (or your county name) into the search/filter box
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  3. From the filtered results, select "Alameda County Civil" (make sure "Civil" is in the selection)
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✅ What you should see: The selected court appears in the field
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⚡ Pitfall: Do not select a criminal or family court. Always verify the word "Civil" is part of your selection.
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Step 3.2
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Select the case type

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  1. Find the "Case Type" dropdown below the Court selection and open it
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  2. Type "Unlawful Detainer" into the search box
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  3. Check the Complaint PDF: Look at the top-right corner of page 1 for the total damages sought: +
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    • If it says "over $35,000" → Select "Civil Unlimited"
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    • If it says "$10,000 to $35,000" → Select "Civil Limited"
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  4. Click to select the matching case type (e.g., "Unlawful Detainer - Commercial ($10k–$35k) - Civil Limited")
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✅ What you should see: The selected case type appears in the field
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⚠️ Stumble: If unsure whether to select "Limited" or "Unlimited," stop and re-read the damages amount from the Complaint PDF.
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4
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Enter Property and Party Information
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Step 4.1
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Enter the release zip code and court location

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  1. Find the "Release Zip & Court" field below Section 1
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  2. Type the property zip code from the Complaint (e.g., "94544")
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  3. From the auto-suggested dropdown, select the correct courthouse (e.g., "94544 - Hayward Hall of Justice")
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✅ What you should see: The court location auto-populates based on your zip code selection
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Step 4.2
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Enter the premises address

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  1. Find the "Address" field
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  2. Go to the Complaint PDF window, highlight and copy (Ctrl+C / Cmd+C) the full property address (e.g., "27250 Sleepy Hollow Ave, Unit #212")
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  3. Click into the Address field in eLegal and paste (Ctrl+V / Cmd+V)
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  4. Repeat this same process for City, State, and Zip Code fields — reading from the Complaint PDF each time
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✅ What you should see: Each field populated exactly as copied from the PDF
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5
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Upload Required Documents
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Step 5.1
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Upload the Complaint

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  1. Scroll down to find Section 2: "Add Documents"
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  2. Click the "Document Type" dropdown, type "Complaint" and select it
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  3. A "Click to Upload" area will appear — drag and drop the "CMP - Complaint" file into this box
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✅ What you should see: The filename appears in green, indicating successful upload
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⚡ Pitfall: If you upload the wrong file (e.g., Summons instead of Complaint), the court will reject your filing. Double-check the Document Type label matches the file name.
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Step 5.2
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Upload the Summons

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  1. Click the "Add Another" button (or "+") to create a new row
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  2. Select "Summons" as the Document Type
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  3. Drag and drop the "CMP - Summons" file into the upload box
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✅ What you should see: The filename appears in green
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Step 5.3
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Upload the Civil Case Cover Sheet

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  1. Click "Add Another" for a third row
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  2. Select "Civil Case Cover Sheet" as the Document Type
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  3. Drag and drop the "CMP - Civil Case Cover Sheet" file into the upload box
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✅ What you should see: All three documents show green checkmarks or confirmation text
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6
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Add Parties and Select Services
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Step 6.1
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Select the representing attorney

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  1. Scroll to the "Representing Attorney" field and open its dropdown
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  2. Select your name (e.g., "Todd B. Hubbard")
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📝 This field does NOT auto-populate based on your login — you must select it manually every time.
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Step 6.2
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Add the Defendant party

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  1. Scroll to the "Parties" section and click "Add Party"
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  2. In the new form, select "Defendant" from the Role dropdown
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  3. Fill in the defendant's Last Name and First Name from the Filevine document viewer
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  4. If the defendant has an address listed in Filevine, copy and paste it into the address fields
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  5. Scroll to "Party We Represent" and check the checkbox next to this party
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⚡ Pitfall: Forgetting to add all defendants is a common error. Double-check the Complaint for multiple defendants — each one must be added separately.
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Step 6.3
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Handle AKA/DBA Defendants (if applicable)

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  1. If the Complaint lists any defendant with an AKA (Also Known As) or DBA (Doing Business As), click "Add Party" again
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  2. Select the appropriate role: "AKA" or "DBA"
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  3. Enter the alternative name and check the "Party We Represent" checkbox for this entry too
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⚡ Pitfall: Do NOT merge AKA/DBA names into the primary defendant entry. They must be separate entries with their own Role selection.
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Step 6.4
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Skip additional services

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  1. Scroll to the "Additional Services" section
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  2. Verify no checkboxes are selected for extra services like "Process Serving"
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  3. Leave this section empty unless your supervising attorney has specifically instructed otherwise
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Step 6.5
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Select payment and calculate fees

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  1. Scroll to the "Payment Method" section
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  2. Click the "Select Payment Account" dropdown and choose the credit card for filing fees
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  3. Click the "Calculate Fees" button
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✅ What you should see: The total fee amount appears on screen
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⚠️ Stumble: If you get an error after clicking "Calculate Fees," go back and review all party fields for typos or missing data.
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7
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Review and Submit
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Step 7.1
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Gather the courtesy email

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  1. Switch to your Filevine window
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  2. Click on the "Vitals" section in the left sidebar
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  3. Locate the project email address and copy it (Ctrl+C / Cmd+C)
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Step 7.2
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Enter the courtesy email and verify

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  1. Switch back to the eLegal window
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  2. Scroll to the "Courtesy Email Notice" field and paste the project email address
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  3. Scroll to the bottom of the form and check the box: "I have verified my filing information"
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Step 7.3
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Submit

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  1. Click the "Submit Filing" button
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  2. Note the Filing ID and Case Number that appear — write these down or take a screenshot
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  3. Mark in your Filevine project notes (in "Dates & Deadlines") that the filing has been submitted and note the Filing ID
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✅ What you should see: A confirmation message, and the filing status changes to "Pending"
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8
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Retrieve Accepted Documents
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Step 8.1
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Wait for the acceptance email

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  1. After submitting, wait for an email from eLegal with the subject: "Filing ID [ID] Accepted on [Case Number] — [Case Name]"
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⏱ Expected timing: The email typically arrives within 5–15 minutes. In some cases, up to 30 minutes. If not received after 30 minutes, check spam/junk folder.
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Step 8.2
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Open the acceptance email

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  1. In your email client, locate and click on the acceptance email
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  2. The email body will state that documents could not be attached (due to size limits) with a "Click here" link to view/download filed copies
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  3. Click the "Click here" link
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Step 8.3
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Log in to eLegal (again)

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  1. A new browser tab opens to the eLegal login page
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  2. Enter your email and password, click "Login"
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✅ What you should see: A page titled "Filing [ID Number] — Accepted"
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Step 8.4
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Download each accepted document

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  1. You will see a table listing filed documents with "Accepted" status and a "View" icon (eye symbol) next to each
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  2. For each document in the list: +
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    • Click the "View" eye icon
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    • In the PDF viewer, click the "Download" button (downward arrow) in the top right
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    • Choose your Downloads folder and click "Save"
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    • Close the PDF viewer
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⚡ Pitfall: Do not skip any document. All filed documents should be downloaded and archived.
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⚠️ Stumble: If you accidentally click "Add a Case" instead, close that window and go back to the filing acceptance page.
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9
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Archive to Filevine
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Step 9.1
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Upload documents to the correct folder

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  1. In Filevine, navigate to "Documents" → "1. Pleadings & Filed Docs"
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  2. Select all the downloaded eLegal documents from your Downloads folder
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  3. Drag and drop them into the "1. Pleadings & Filed Docs" folder in Filevine
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✅ What you should see: An "Uploading [N] item(s)" progress bar at the bottom, then the files appear in the folder
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⚡ Pitfall: Double-check you are uploading to "1. Pleadings & Filed Docs." Uploading to the wrong folder can cause confusion for team members.
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Step 9.2
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Update the case number

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  1. In the Filevine sidebar, click on "Dates & Deadlines"
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  2. Find the field labeled "Case Number" under "Complaint Info"
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  3. Copy the case number from one of your downloaded eLegal documents (or your notes from Phase 7) and paste it in
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Step 9.3
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Update the filing date

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  1. Find the field labeled "Date Case Filed" with a calendar icon
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  2. Click the calendar and select the correct filing date (from the eLegal acceptance page or email)
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✅ What you should see: The selected date appears in the field
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Step 9.4
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Final verification

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  1. Review all entered data: case number, filing date, and document list
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  2. Verify no error messages appear anywhere on the page
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  3. Filevine saves changes automatically — no explicit "Save" button is needed
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✅ The workflow is now complete.
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Quick Reference — Where to Find Each Field

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FieldWhere to Find the Data
Property Address, City, State, ZipComplaint PDF — page 1
Damages amount (for Limited vs Unlimited)Complaint PDF — top-right corner, page 1
Defendant Name(s), AKA/DBAFilevine → Documents section
Case TypeDetermined by property type + damages amount
CourthouseAuto-populated from zip code selection
Courtesy EmailFilevine → Vitals section
Filing ID, Case NumbereLegal confirmation screen + acceptance email
Filing DateeLegal acceptance page or email
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Common Errors and How to Fix Them

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ErrorLikely CauseFix
"We cannot save because you are missing required fields"Forgot a court, case type, or party roleGo back and fill in all blank required fields (marked with asterisk *)
Generic fee calculation errorTypo in party name, missing address line, or incomplete dataReview every party field for accuracy — check names, addresses, and roles
Court rejects the filingWrong document type selected (e.g., Summons uploaded as Complaint)Delete the incorrect file, re-select the correct Document Type, and re-upload
"Limited" vs "Unlimited" confusionNot checking damages amount in ComplaintRead the damages figure: over $35,000 = Unlimited; $10,000–$35,000 = Limited
No acceptance email after 30 minEmail delay or spam filteringCheck thoroughly, including spam/junk. If still missing, log into eLegal directly to check status.
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