Court of Common Pleas of Chester County, Pennsylvania Electronic Filing Rules

CRITICAL

A substitute exhibit not provided during the proceeding must be hand-delivered to the records office within the applicable deadline and may not be filed electronically or by mail.

Whenever the permissible substitute exhibit for an original exhibit identified in paragraph (A)(1), (B)(1), or (C)(1) was not provided to the records office during a court proceeding, the proponent shall hand-deliver the substitute exhibit to the records office within the timeframes set forth in paragraphs (A)(2), (B)(2), and (C)(2). In no event shall the substitute exhibit be filed with the records office electronically or by mail.

CRITICAL

The exclusive system for electronic filing is the PACFile System, developed and administered by the Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts and located on Pennsylvania’s Unified Judicial System Web Portal at https://ujsportal.pacourts.us /PACFile.aspx.

The exclusive system for electronic filing is the PACFile System, developed and administered by the Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts and located on Pennsylvania’s Unified Judicial System Web Portal at https://ujsportal.pacourts.us /PACFile.aspx.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Legal paper

Electronically filed legal papers must be filed through the Prothonotary’s Electronic Filing System, and counsel and unrepresented parties must apply for login credentials to access it.

All legal papers that are filed electronically shall be filed through the Prothonotary’s Electronic Filing System (“Electronic Filing System”) which shall be accessible through the Chester County Prothonotary’s web site, www.efiling.chesco.org . To obtain access to the Electronic Filing System, counsel and any unrepresented party must apply to the Prothonotary’s Office for a User Name and Password.

WARNING

The rule excludes specified warrant applications, grand jury materials, authorized ex parte submissions, and sealed submissions from the definition of legal papers.

“Legal papers” are pleadings or other submissions to the court, including motions, answers, notices, or other documents, of which filing is required or permitted, including orders, exhibits and attachments, but excluding: (a) applications for search warrants; (b) applications for arrest warrants; (c) any grand jury materials, except the indicting grand jury indictment or the investigating grand jury presentment; (d) submissions filed ex parte as authorized by law; and (e) submissions filed or authorized to be filed under seal.

WARNING

PACFile filing is voluntary, and parties who decline or are unable to use the system may file and receive service of legal papers in hard-copy format.

At this time, electronic filing through the PACFile System is voluntary. Any party who declines to participate in the PACFile electronic filing system, or who is unable to electronically file or accept service of legal papers which were filed electronically, or who is otherwise unable to access the PACFile system, shall be permitted to file legal papers in a physical paper format (‘hard-copy’) and shall be served legal papers in a physical paper format by the Clerk of Courts and other parties, whether electronically filed or otherwise, as required by Pa.R.Crim.P. 576.

WARNING

The Clerk of Courts must accept and retain hard-copy legal papers, convert them to PDF, and add them to the system unless they are excluded from electronic filing.

Any legal paper submitted for filing to the Clerk of Courts in a physical paper (or ‘hard- copy’) format shall be accepted by the Clerk of Courts in that format and shall be retained by the Clerk of Courts as may be required by applicable rules of court and record retention policies. The Clerk of Courts shall convert such hard-copy legal paper to .pdf and add it to the system, except those legal papers excluded from electronic filing pursuant to Pa.R.Crim.P. 576.1(C) and this rule.

WARNING

Applies to

Motions for continuance and objections

Motions for continuance/objections may be faxed/e-mailed. Faxes/emails shall be directed to the appropriate department for consideration.

Motions for continuance/objections may be faxed/e-mailed. Faxes/emails shall be directed to the appropriate department for consideration.

INFOCivil cases

Applies to

Legal paper

Electronic filing and service are permitted under the rule, which applies to civil matters other than family court matters.

(a)(1) The Chester County Court of Common Pleas hereby permits the electronic filing of legal papers and the electronic service of such papers, under the terms described in this Local Rule. The actions and proceedings subject to this rule are all civil matters other than family court matters. All legal papers in all civil matters other than family court matters are subject to this rule.

INFO

Electronic filing of legal papers through PACFile is permitted in Chester County as of March 4, 2019.

Pursuant to Pennsylvania Rule of Criminal Procedure 576.1, Electronic Filing and Service of Legal Papers, electronic filing of legal papers through the PACFile electronic filing system is permissive in Chester County, the 15th Judicial District, as of March 4, 2019.