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E-Filing Tips – Part 2

E-fling continues to aggravate and confuse attorneys and legal assistants.  Here is an important tip I am getting from the clerks in all surrounding counties (they just will not say it on the record): DO NOT USE PRO DOC AS YOUR E-FILING SERVICE PROVIDER.  The clerks confirm that the majority of their e-filing problems involve ProDoc.  My office has switched to efile.txcourts.gov, which is free and seems to create far fewer errors.  Click here for the comparison chart of e-filing service providers.

I arranged a meeting for legal assistants from several different law firms to meet with Galveston County District Clerk John Kinard and his staff to discuss e-filing.  I give Kinard and his people credit – they are trying everything they can to make this transition to e-filing work.  Communication is a big issue and is being worked on.  For example, Galveston County a few weeks ago stopped accepting American Express to pay e-filing fees but did not tell anyone.  My office went crazy for a few days trying to figure out why our e-filings were being rejected before technical support for our e-filing service provider figured it out.  Thanks to my complaints, Galveston County now again accepts American Express.

In Galveston County, returns of service can be e-filed.  The District Clerk prefers that exhibits be filed with motions as one document.  If the motion and exhibits exceeds the size limit, the exhibits should be filed as a separate document and clearly titled,”Exhibits to Petitioner’s Motion to….”  The District Clerk is charging 25 cents per page for service copies.

Click here to see tips from the Galveston County District Clerk’s office on e-filing, some of which was news to me.  Click here for a PDF of the same information sheet, which most attorneys I checked with did not even know existed.

Here are some e-filing requirements I did not know about for Galveston County that go beyond what the Supreme Court rules require.  These are requirements are not in our local rules yet and it is a mystery why these guidelines have not been shared with attorneys.

1.    Paper must be white with a page size of 8.5 x 11; font must be black with a size no smaller than

14 point.  
 
2.     Documents must be in a text-searchable PDF format using 300 DPI resolution and fonts specified in the Adobe PDF reference version 1.5 and should be generated directly from the originating software using a PDF distiller whenever possible.
 
3.     Documents must not be locked (i.e. password protected)
 
4.     Documents must be in black and white; color or grayscale images will be rejected
 
5.     Documents must not contain any malware or viruses. The electronic filing of a document constitutes certification by the filer that the document has been checked and is clear of any malware or viruses
 
6.     Documents must contain filer’s complete contact information in the signature block including name, address, phone number and e-mail address.
 
7.     PDF portfolios will not be accepted. Multiple documents which pertain to a single filing must be combined into a PDF. For example, Exhibits to pleadings are to be included in a single PDF or can be filed separately as a new filing using the Exhibit filing code;
 
8.     Documents that can be filed in a traditional manner with the County and District Clerk may be electronically filed with the exception of the following documents:
 
A.   Bonds;
B.   Will and Codicils thereto;
C.  Documents to be presented to a court in camera, solely for the purpose of obtaining a ruling on the   discoverability of such documents;
D.  Documents on cases sealed pursuant to Tex. R. CV. P. 76a; and
E.  Documents to which access is otherwise restricted by law or court order, including a document filed in a proceeding under Chapter 33, Family Code.