15th Judicial Circuit Court, Stephenson County, Illinois Electronic Filing Rules

CRITICAL

Applies to

Discovery documents

Discovery documents generally must not be filed with the Clerk unless the Court orders otherwise; requests to admit and their answers or responses are excepted, and relevant portions must be attached as exhibits when seeking relief.

Pursuant to S. Ct. R. 201(m), and unless otherwise ordered by the Court, depositions, interrogatories, requests to produce or inspect, answers, responses, and other similar discovery documents shall not be filed with the Clerk. This Rule does not apply to requests to admit facts or the genuineness of documents or the answers or responses to those requests. However, if relief is sought concerning any deposition, interrogatory, request for production or inspection, answer to interrogatory, or response, copies of the portion of the deposition, interrogatory, request, answer, or response shall be attached to the request for relief as an exhibit and filed with the Clerk.

CRITICAL

Users must register with the Clerk and the Court’s authorized E-filing Vendor before filing any document electronically.

Before E-filing any document, a user must register with the Clerk and the Court’s authorized E-filing Vendor.

CRITICAL

Electronic filings may be submitted through a Vendor or the Clerk’s computer workstation.

The Clerk shall accept and approve filings electronically, through a Vendor or through the Clerk’s computer workstation.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Civil case document

Electronic filing is required in all civil cases, subject to stated rule exceptions and possible written orders covering additional case types.

Except as otherwise set forth in these Rules and the Supreme Court Rules, the Court requires electronic filing in all civil cases. With approval of the Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, the Court by written administrative order may authorize or require electronic filing of additional types of cases. The Clerk shall direct any phasing in of case types.

CRITICAL

Documents received by fax may not be filed unless a Supreme Court Rule or the Court authorizes it.

The Clerk shall not file documents received by facsimile transmission unless otherwise authorized by Supreme Court Rule or the Court.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Civil document

Electronic filing is mandated in civil case types through the Illinois Supreme Court-authorized EFM.

The Circuit has been approved to accept the electronic filing of documents in civil proceedings. Specific authority has been granted for electronic filing by Illinois Supreme Court Order M.R. 18368 amended January 22, 2016, mandating electronic filing in civil case types effective January 1, 2018, through the utilization of a centralized electronic filing manager (EFM) authorized by the Illinois Supreme Court.

CRITICAL

Documents received by fax may not be filed unless a Supreme Court Rule or the Court authorizes it.

The Clerk shall not file documents received by facsimile transmission unless otherwise authorized by Supreme Court Rule or the Court.

CRITICAL

Individual documents in one case may be filed in a single transaction, but each document must be uploaded and titled separately.

Filing of individual documents within a case shall be accepted in a single Electronic Filing transaction; however, each individual document must be uploaded and titled individually.

CRITICAL

Attorneys registering with the Clerk must provide the listed firm, attorney, contact, and fee-payment information.

Attorneys must register with the Clerk and shall at a minimum provide the following information: firm name; attorney names and ARDC registration numbers; address; phone number; e-mail address for E-service; staff contact information; and an approved method for paying filing fees.

CRITICAL

All Filers must register through their Vendor, and registrations identify the source of electronically submitted documents.

All Filers shall be registered through their Vendor. All registrations will be used to identify the source of any document submitted electronically to the Clerk.

CRITICAL

The Clerk must accept and approve electronic filings submitted through a Vendor or the Clerk’s computer workstation.

The Clerk shall accept and approve filings electronically, through a Vendor or through the Clerk’s computer workstation.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Materials in response to discovery orders

The Clerk must not accept exhibits, reports, or other materials submitted in response to court discovery orders for filing.

The Clerk shall not accept for filing any exhibits, reports, or other materials in response to discovery orders entered by the Court.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Civil document

Civil-case filings must be made electronically except as otherwise provided by the local or Supreme Court Rules.

Except as otherwise set forth in these Rules and the Supreme Court Rules, the Court requires electronic filing in all civil cases.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Application for waiver of court fees

A civil fee-waiver application must be e-filed unless the Court excuses e-filing.

An Application for Waiver of Court Fees in a civil action shall be in writing, on the form adopted by the Illinois Supreme Court, and signed by the applicant or, in the case of a minor or an incompetent adult, by another person having knowledge of the facts, and shall be e-filed in accordance with the Rules, unless e-filing is excused by the Court.

CRITICAL

The Clerk will not accept bulk filings of multiple cases or multiple documents combined in one PDF, except that a law enforcement agency may transmit multiple electronic citations in one transaction.

Bulk filings of multiple cases or multiple documents combined into one PDF document shall not be accepted by the Clerk; however, multiple citations being electronically filed may be transmitted to the Clerk as a single transaction directly from a law enforcement agency.

CRITICAL

A user must register with the Clerk and the authorized e-filing Vendor before e-filing any document.

Before E-filing any document, a user must register with the Clerk and the Court’s authorized E-filing Vendor.

CRITICAL

Documents associated with different case numbers must be filed in separate transactions.

Documents with different case numbers must be filed individually in separate transactions.

CRITICAL

The E-filing program must not prevent or exclude conventional filing of a pleading or document that must be filed conventionally.

At no time shall the E-filing program prevent or exclude the ability to file any pleading or document that is required to be filed by Conventional Filing.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Testamentary document

Wills and other testamentary documents cannot be e-filed, and the Clerk may reject electronically filed unapproved case or document types.

Wills and other testamentary documents shall not be accepted for electronic filing. Any unapproved case or document type filed electronically by a Filer may be rejected by the Clerk.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Testamentary document

Wills and other testamentary documents cannot be filed electronically.

Wills and other testamentary documents shall not be accepted for electronic filing.

WARNING

The Clerk must provide attorneys and self-represented litigants in e-filed cases access to a no-charge E-filing workstation during normal business hours.

The Clerk shall provide attorneys and SRLs in e-filed cases access to an e-file computer workstation. The E-filing workstation shall be available during normal business hours and without charge.

WARNING

When the Court excuses a party from e-filing, the Clerk must scan that party’s conventionally filed documents into the electronic file.

If the Court excuses a party from the obligation to electronically file documents, the Clerk shall scan documents filed by Conventional Filing by that party into the electronic file.

WARNING

The Clerk may reject an e-filed document that does not comply with governing formatting requirements.

The Clerk may reject a document submitted for E-filing if the document does not comply with the format specified by applicable statute, these Rules, applicable Supreme Court Rules, or the Statewide Standards.

WARNING

The e-filing program must not prevent conventional filing of a pleading or document required to be filed conventionally.

At no time shall the E-filing program prevent or exclude the ability to file any pleading or document that is required to be filed by Conventional Filing.

WARNING

When the Court excuses a party from e-filing, the Clerk must scan that party’s conventionally filed documents into the electronic file.

If the Court excuses a party from the obligation to electronically file documents, the Clerk shall scan documents filed by Conventional Filing by that party into the electronic file.

WARNING

Applies to

Unapproved case or document type

The Clerk may reject an electronically filed case or document type that has not been approved.

Any unapproved case or document type filed electronically by a Filer may be rejected by the Clerk.

INFO

The Clerk’s e-filing workstation must be available during normal business hours at no charge.

The E-filing workstation shall be available during normal business hours and without charge.

INFO

Self-represented litigants may e-file through a Vendor as prescribed by the Clerk.

SRLs may utilize E-filing through a Vendor in the manner prescribed by the Clerk.

INFO

Self-represented litigants may e-file through a Vendor as prescribed by the Clerk.

SRLs may utilize E-filing through a Vendor in the manner prescribed by the Clerk.

INFO

Applies to

Written order

A written order required by the Court may be submitted through e-filing or another method.

When the Court enters a ruling in any case, it may require that a written order be submitted through e-filing or otherwise, and the attorney or SRL directed to submit the order shall do so within 30 days or other time established by the Court.