Standard Operating Procedure

File a Case Through eLegal

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

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

Prerequisites Before Beginning

1
Gather Documents from Filevine
Step 1.1

Open Filevine and locate the case

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

Navigate to the documents folder

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

Download the required files

  1. Hover your mouse over the file named "CMP - Complaint"
  2. Click the Download icon (downward arrow) that appears next to it
  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)
  4. Repeat steps 1–3 for the remaining two files: "CMP - Summons" and "CMP - Civil Case Cover Sheet"
⚡ 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.
Step 1.4

Open the Complaint PDF for reference

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

Open the eLegal portal

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

Start the new filing form

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

Select the court

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

Select the case type

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

Enter the release zip code and court location

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

Enter the premises address

  1. Find the "Address" field
  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")
  3. Click into the Address field in eLegal and paste (Ctrl+V / Cmd+V)
  4. Repeat this same process for City, State, and Zip Code fields — reading from the Complaint PDF each time
✅ What you should see: Each field populated exactly as copied from the PDF
5
Upload Required Documents
Step 5.1

Upload the Complaint

  1. Scroll down to find Section 2: "Add Documents"
  2. Click the "Document Type" dropdown, type "Complaint" and select it
  3. A "Click to Upload" area will appear — drag and drop the "CMP - Complaint" file into this box
✅ What you should see: The filename appears in green, indicating successful upload
⚡ 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.
Step 5.2

Upload the Summons

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

Upload the Civil Case Cover Sheet

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

Select the representing attorney

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

Add the Defendant party

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

Handle AKA/DBA Defendants (if applicable)

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

Skip additional services

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

Select payment and calculate fees

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

Gather the courtesy email

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

Enter the courtesy email and verify

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

Submit

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

Wait for the acceptance email

  1. After submitting, wait for an email from eLegal with the subject: "Filing ID [ID] Accepted on [Case Number] — [Case Name]"
⏱ 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.
Step 8.2

Open the acceptance email

  1. In your email client, locate and click on the acceptance email
  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
  3. Click the "Click here" link
Step 8.3

Log in to eLegal (again)

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

Download each accepted document

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

Upload documents to the correct folder

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

Update the case number

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

Update the filing date

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

Final verification

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

Quick Reference — Where to Find Each Field

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

Common Errors and How to Fix Them

ErrorLikely CauseFix
"We cannot save because you are missing required fields" Forgot a court, case type, or party role Go back and fill in all blank required fields (marked with asterisk *)
Generic fee calculation error Typo in party name, missing address line, or incomplete data Review every party field for accuracy — check names, addresses, and roles
Court rejects the filing Wrong 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" confusion Not checking damages amount in Complaint Read the damages figure: over $35,000 = Unlimited; $10,000–$35,000 = Limited
No acceptance email after 30 min Email delay or spam filtering Check thoroughly, including spam/junk. If still missing, log into eLegal directly to check status.