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Understanding the eFile Website

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IF THESE INSTRUCTIONS DON'T MATCH WHAT YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN...

You may be using our older Legacy website. To access those instructions, click here.

 

This article is a general summary of the eFile website. If you would like to find more detailed help articles for the eFiling process click here.

  • NOTE: Filers can make as many filings as necessary via the efiling website. Only the closure of a case might limit how many filings can be made into it, depending on the rules of the court that case is filed at.

The eFile website is used to send case filings — from initial submissions (like Complaints or Petitions) to subsequent filings (like Responses, Exhibits, and Motions) — in PDF format directly to the court. While our related website, the Odyssey Guide & File system, can be used to generate new case filings via a step-by-step interview process, the eFile & Serve system is used to send already completed court documents and exhibits to the court like an electronic "post office."

 

Please click one of the following options to get started.

 

 

 

What Type of Filer are You?

Need help? Please contact us using one of the methods below:

  • Call us at 1-800-297-5377 Monday to Friday between 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM Central Time.
  • Email us at support@odysseyfileandserve.zendesk.com.
  • Chat with us using the yellow Support button when logged into the eFile & Serve website.

 

Filer Without an Attorney

Click the links below to read important help articles.

 

Legal Professional

Click the links below to read important help articles.

 

 

Got Questions?

Questions the court can assist with: Technical Support can assist with:
What Filing Code do I use? How do I correct a rejected envelope? 
What document or forms do I need to file? Finding a case number.
When is my court date?  How to check the status of your filings.
Why was my filing rejected? (Needing more information than the rejection reason in the system)  Adding a Service Contact email to a case. 
I need to make changes to the party information on my case.  How do I add more than one document to my filing?
What are the next steps in my case?  How Do I Request/Pay for Service or Citations?
  What are the Differences Between EFile Only, EFile and Serve, and Service Only?
  Website errors, red boxes indicating an error. 

Rules and Procedure questions may be answered by your local law library or legal aid organizations. Website-related functionality is to be directed to the Technical Support Team. Technical support can be contacted by clicking the dark blue "Help" button on the right side of the screen. A basic understanding of the website can be found by clicking here.

 

 

Getting Started

Have you already completed the document(s) you need to file and have them saved to your computer in PDF format and ready to submit online?

Our website does not have the court forms that you would need to complete; you may only upload your completed forms to submit them to the court here. The court location you are filing into should be able to supply you with that paperwork. If not, you may check the Guide & File version of our site to see if you can file your new case documents there using its step-by-step interview process. Otherwise, you must check the court’s website for their approved/required forms to obtain the forms you need to file.

Once you have obtained and completed the documents you must file and have saved them to your computer as PDF files, you can visit our site and submit it electronically on our efiling site:

Select your state, then click on the eFile & Serve option to be taken to your state's efiling website. Once there, you must register for a new account. For more information, please refer to the help articles below.

PLEASE NOTE: As Filer Support agents, we are not trained in legal terms nor are we trained in specific court rules and processes. We can only assist you with the functionality of the eFile & Serve software. If you have questions regarding what selections to make from the Category, Case Type, Filing Code, or other drop-down menus, we recommend reaching out to the your county law library or legal aid organizations for clarification.

 

 

Can I File Using the eFile & Serve Website?

If you can find your Court Location listed on our site, and if you can find the Case Type and Case Category you need (if starting a new case), or if you can find the Case Number of the case you need to file your case with the eFile & Serve website. (See below for more information on the eFiling process.)

 

 

The eFiling Process

In general, the efiling process is fairly straightforward: you must add a Payment Account to your efiling account first in order to efile, then you will either start a new case (if you are starting a new case) or file into an existing case (if you are filing into an existing case with an assigned case/cause/docket number) on the Filer Dashboard.

You will select the Court Location you are filing into, then either select a Case Type and Case Category if starting a new case, or you will search for your existing case via Case Number or Party Name (if available), then file into that case.

For more information on this process, please refer to the following help articles:

PLEASE NOTE: You cannot efile without having a valid Payment Account on file.

 

Dashboard

The Dashboard will display 6 clickable boxes.

  • Start Filing - This box allows you to Start a New Case or File into an Existing Case
  • Filing History - This box allows you to view past Submitted filings.
  • Drafts - This box allows you to view filings that have not been submitted. Drafts are attempts to eFile.
  • Case Search - This box allows you to search existing cases to file into and submit. (Not a courts records search!)
    • Please Note: You cannot clear out the cases in the Case Search box.
  • Bookmarks - This box will show saved cases for quick filing into existing cases.
  • Templates - Templates is way to set the website up for the same type of cases and filings. 

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"Hamburger" menu (3 Horizontals line at the top left)

This is the main navigation menu. This will show you the Dashboard sections along with additional choices.

When you are finished using the menu, click the three-line "hamburger" button again to close the menu so it doesn't clutter the webpage.

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Icons at the top right

mceclip2.png  Help articles and feedback menu.

mceclip3.png  Allows you to navigate to other software services or will show you the site you are currently using.

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Clicking your profile's initials to the top right allows you to Sign Out or View/Manage your Profile.

 

 

Basic website behavior:

Look for RED asterisks, this will indicate that the field is required. Also look for boxes in red under the clickable or enter-able fields .

mceclip5.png   This icon will indicate that the required fields have yet to be completed in a section or page.

Once all fields are completed, click the button on the lower right hand corner of the page to continue to the next page. (The shaded blue button at the lower right hand corner will change to bright blue when all required fields are completed and can be clicked on to move to the next page.)

If there is no red asterisk or box saying the field is required, then this means that particular field is optional.

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Scroll down boxes:

When clicking into certain drop down boxes, the boxes allow you to scroll down to see all options. Click the down arrow or use the center mouse wheel to scroll through the options. 

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