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When Was My Case First Opened?

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To determine when your case was first opened, you must either consult your own filings (if you were the originator of the case) or your court's records (if someone else initiated the case).

 

If You Originated the Case

If you filed the initial document (typically a Complaint, Petition, or some similar initial case document) that originated the case, locate the original case document using your Filing History and view the envelope details. (For more information, please consult the article listed below.)

 

When viewing the envelope details of the filing that originated the case, scroll down to the Filings section and examine the filing details. You will find the Review Date - the date and time when the court clerks reviewed and accepted the initiating document and assigned a case number to it, thus first opening the case - in this section (as shown below).

 

For Most States:

 

For Louisiana:

 

If Someone Else Originated the Case

If someone else filed the case originating documents, then you must access the case's records to locate the case-originating document and determine when the case was first opened. Contact your court to find out if they have an official records site. Registered eFile users in select states may also be able to access court case information via the re:Search website. (Please refer to the article and link below for more information.)