Snohomish County Superior Court Electronic Filing Rules

Applies to

Ex parte submission

Parties not appearing in person must use the Ex Parte via the Clerk Portal for ex parte submissions, and mailed submissions are not accepted except for adoption break seal requests.

(A) Submission Method. Parties shall use the Ex Parte via the Clerk Portal for all ex parte submissions intended for presentation to a judicial officer when the party is not appearing in-person for the presentation. Mailed submissions are not accepted, except for adoption break seal requests.

The Clerk Portal accepts the listed ex parte orders and proceedings, subject to the stated probate exclusions and additional fees for supplemental proceedings and orders extending judgment.

(B) Accepted Submissions. The following submissions will be accepted through the Ex Parte via the Clerk Portal: • Agreed or Stipulated Orders • Orders of Dismissal • Orders of Default • Judgment on Answer of Garnishee/Order to Pay • Supplemental Proceedings (additional filing fee required) • Orders Extending Judgment (additional filing fee required) • Orders to Show Cause • Probate Orders (exclusions below) • Guardianship Orders

The Clerk Portal does not accept motions to shorten time, temporary or final parenting plans and child support, initial probate filings, or minor guardianship final orders, which may instead be presented in person during ex parte hours.

(C) Excluded Submissions. The following submissions will not be accepted through the Ex Parte via the Clerk Portal. These submissions may be presented in person during ex parte hours. • Motions to Shorten Time • Temporary and Final Parenting Plans/Child Support • Initial Probate Filings • Minor Guardianship Final Orders

Attorneys must electronically file all documents through the Clerk’s online e-filing application unless an exception is provided by the rule.

Attorneys shall electronically file (e-file) all documents using the Clerk’s online e-filing application unless this rule provides otherwise.

Negotiable instruments, exhibits, and trial notebooks may not be filed in the court file in either paper or electronic form.

Comments: Negotiable instruments, exhibits, and trial notebooks are examples of items that are not to be filed in the court file either in paper form or by e-filing.

A respondent's response may be filed in person or electronically with the clerk and must be served on the other party by the stated deadline.

any response to the initial petition from the Respondent shall be filed with the clerk of the court (either in person or e-filed) and served on the other party no later than five (5) court days prior to the next hearing date.

Criminal cases require electronic judicial working copies.

Electronic Working Copies are required in criminal cases as follows:

Criminal judicial working copies must be submitted electronically when the hearing is set or when the response or reply is due under SCLCrR 8.2(c).

Judicial working copies for criminal matters shall be submitted to the Court in an electronic format at the time the hearing is set, or at the time the response or reply is due as set forth in SCLCrR 8.2(c).

When a shortened hearing schedule prevents responsive pleadings from being electronically provided by 4:30 p.m. the day before the hearing, the submission must be provided in both electronic and paper formats.

Where the time to hear the motion has been shortened by court order or rule, such that responsive pleadings cannot be electronically provided by 4:30pm the day before the hearing

When one criminal submission, including attachments, exceeds 25 pages, its judicial working copies must be submitted electronically and in paper format.

Where the length of all written materials, including attachments, for one submission (initial filing, response, or reply) exceeds 25 pages

Judicial working copies for proposed jury instructions must be submitted electronically and in paper format.

When submitting proposed jury instructions.

Paper working copies generally are not accepted unless electronic submission is impossible or impractical, or a party submits a paper copy in addition to the electronic copy.

Except as required elsewhere in this rule, paper working copies will not be accepted unless it is impossible or impractical for electronic working copies to be provided or in addition to the electronic working copy, a party chooses to supply a paper working copy.

Criminal electronic working copies must be emailed to the designated criminal address or assigned judge's address, either directly or through Odyssey File and Serve.

Electronic working copies for hearings set in the criminal hearings or criminal motions courtrooms shall be sent to: criminal.workingcopies@snoco.org. Electronic working copies for matters set on a judge’s personal calendar, or preassigned to a particular judge, shall be sent to the working copy e-mail address for that judge. The working copy e-mail addresses are for criminal matters only at this time and will be located on the Criminal Matters page on the Snohomish County Superior Court website. Working copies may be sent directly to the correct e-mail address

Documents that are or will be submitted as hearing or trial exhibits are excluded from the permission to electronically file official documents.

This does not include documents that are or will be submitted as an exhibit in a hearing or trial.

An attorney unable to electronically file may request an e-filing waiver by showing good cause and explaining the case-specific need for paper filing.

If an attorney is unable to e-file documents, the attorney may request a waiver. The attorney must make a showing of good cause and explain why he or she needs to file paper documents in that particular case.

The Clerk provides waiver request forms, considers each application, and gives the attorney a written response.

The Clerk will make waiver request forms available, consider each application and provide a written response to the attorney.

Working-copy items unsuitable for e-filing must continue to be submitted in paper form under the specified procedural rule.

Working copy items not suitable for e-filing shall continue to be required in paper form and presented pursuant to SCLCR 7(b)(2)(b) or the applicable rule for the relevant case type.

Electronic working copies that do not comply with the submission and naming rules may be rejected.

Submissions of electronic working copies that do not conform to these rules may be rejected.

Unrepresented parties are not required to file electronically but may choose to do so.

Unrepresented parties are not required to e-file but may do so.

Documents from governments or other courts under official seal, including adoption documents, may be filed electronically.

(c) Documents That May Be E-Filed: Documents from governments or other courts under official seal including adoption documents.

When authorized by court rule, judicial working copies may be submitted directly to the judicial officer or court designee through the Clerk's e-filing application using the serve-only option.

If authorized by court rule, Judicial working copies may be submitted directly to the judicial officer or to his/her court designee using the Clerk’s e-filing application via the “serve only” option.

A defendant appearing pro se may submit either hard copies through Court Administration or electronic working copies under the stated procedures.

Defendants appearing pro se are presumed to be unable to submit electronic working copies and may submit hard working copies through Court Administration or may submit electronic working copies as set forth herein.