Administrative Guide to CM/ECF

Introduction to the Guide

Registration

1. Registration

To register to file electronically with our court, you must request admission via your PACER [1] account and complete any assigned training if required by the court. If you are currently registered to use CM/ECF in another U.S. Bankruptcy or U.S. District Court, you must still register to use CM/ECF at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court - Middle District of North Carolina.
Upon requesting admission and completing any required training by the court, a properly registered attorney admitted to practice in this court may become a Filing User. A Filing User is defined by the Local Bankruptcy Rules as a person who has been granted admission to file documents electronically with the court.
Once registered, a Filing User may withdraw from participation in the system. Upon the receipt by the Clerks Office of a request to withdraw from participation the participant’s account will be locked.

2. Passwords

A Filing User must protect and secure their PACER login and password. If there is any reason to suspect the password has been compromised in any way, it is the duty and responsibility of the Filing User to immediately notify the court. This should include the resignation or reassignment of the person with authority to use the account. The attorney/participant should change their password immediately.
It is strongly recommended that each Filing User periodically change his or her password for security reasons

E-Orders FAQ

For a full list of E-Orders FAQ please visit:

http://www.ncmb.uscourts.gov/cmecf-info/e-orders-faq [2]

Payment of Fees

I. There is no extra charge for filing documents electronically through the ECF system

II. Credit Cards

A. All documents filed through the ECF system that require fees

1. The fees must be paid by credit card through the ECF system.

B. All documents filed in paper form that require fees

1. Payment by credit card will NOT be accepted.

E-Mail Management

Introduction

A. Becoming a Filing User will cause a participant to receive e-mail updates (or electronic notices) of case activity. An attorney will NOT receive these electronic notices for all activity in ALL cases, he or she will just get notices from cases the attorney has made an appearance in.

B. These e-mails can be received in one of two ways.

A Filing User may receive one e-mail for each filing. So if 5 documents are filed in a case, the Filing User would receive 5 separate e-mails; or
The Filing User may elect to receive one e-mail at the end of each day in what is called a Daily Summary Report. The Daily Summary Report includes a list of all the activity from the previous day in all the cases the attorney is involved in.

Both e-mail formats include the case name, the case number, the docket text for the filing, a hyperlink to the case, and a hyperlink to the document filed.

II. One Free Look

A. The hyperlink to the document affords a Filing User “one free look” at the document. The first time this link is clicked on the document will be brought up on the Filing User’s screen at which point it can be printed or saved on the Filing User’s computer without charge. Accessing the document though subsequent clicks on that hyperlink will result in the normal charges incurred through Pacer.

III. Multiple E-mail Accounts

A Filing User can have the electronic notices sent to multiple e-mail accounts at the same time. This may be helpful if you wish to have a central repository in your firm for all e-mails or if you wish to have you assistant or paralegal also receive the e-mails. Each e-mail account is allowed the “one free look” tied to that individual e-mail address.

IV. Participation in Individual Cases

A. Notice of Disinterest
1. Should a Filing User wish to terminate his or her participation in an individual case, the Filing User should file a Notice of Disinterest. Upon filing the Notice of Disinterest the Filing User will no longer receive electronic notices in that individual case.
  1. A Filing User representing a Debtor may NOT cease participation in a case without leave of the court.
B. Participation in cases without making a formal appearance.
1. A Filing User may receive electronic notices in case where the Filing User has not made an appearance by selecting the “Send Notices in these additional cases” option in Maintain User Accounts.