United States Bankruptcy Court
Eastern District of Pennsylvania

CM/ECF Frequently Asked Questions

General

What is CM/ECF?

The Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) is a joint project of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts and the federal courts to replace existing case management systems with a new system based on current technology, new software, and increased functionality.  This new system will give federal courts the ability to maintain electronic case files and offer electronic filing of court documents over the Internet.

Why develop a new case management and case filing system?

The systems currently used in the courts are aging and becoming obsolete.  The current database program is no longer being supported by its manufacturer, making it increasingly difficult and expensive to support.

What are the advantages of ECF?

There are a number of advantages of ECF:

• Registered attorneys are able to file documents with the court 24 hours per day, 7 days a week.
• Full case information is available to attorneys, parties and the general public through the Internet. This includes the ability to view the full text of all filed documents.
• Attorneys on the system will receive notices electronically in ECF cases.
• Since the project uses Internet standard software, the out-of-pocket cost of participation for attorneys is low.
• Documents in electronic form can be made available immediately upon filing.
• Documents may be accessed from anywhere at any time over the Internet.
• More than one person can view files simultaneously.
• Documents and files will not be lost or be difficult to track down.
• Electronic documents reduce the need for physical storage space.
• Information on case files is easier to locate through electronic search methods.

Is CM/ECF available in other courts? 

The CM/ECF system for bankruptcy courts is being implemented nationally over a two- to three-year period starting March 2001.  Currently, there are 53 courts underway in CM/ECF, with 18 courts operational.

When is CM/ECF coming to your court?

The Bankruptcy Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has been selected to be part of the Wave 6 implementation.  Implementation of electronic case filings in the bankruptcy court could begin in the Fall 2002. 

Will ECF be available in the Reading division in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania?

Yes.  Both Philadelphia and the Reading division will be implementing electronic case filing concurrently. 

Access Related

How to receive a login and password to Eastern District of Pennsylvania Bankruptcy Court

If an attorney has a login and password to ECF from another Federal Court (Bankruptcy, District) or has attended ECF training at another court, he or she is eligible to receive a login and password to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Bankruptcy Court Bankruptcy court. Fill out the Participant Registration Form located under CM/ECF , Documents on the court's website.

If an attorney does not have a login and password at another court and has not taken any ECF training, he or she must attend a training class. Please go to CM/ECF Training to register for a class.

Can the general public view ECF cases and the documents in those cases?

The public access component of CM/ECF will require a user to enter a Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) login and password.  Public users will be charged to view CM/ECF reports and queries through the Internet.  PACER logins may be obtained by either contacting the Pacer Service Center at (800) 676-6856 or through its website at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov.  Established PACER users will automatically have access to these sites. 

Can any member of the public use ECF to file documents with the court?

No.  Access to ECF is available to trained, authorized attorneys, trustees, and users only.

Since access will be limited to authorized attorneys or users, is there any way for pro se filers or attorneys without Internet access to file documents in ECF cases?

Pursuant to Standing Order M-04-3009, effective January 15, 2005, attorneys filing documents with the court must become authorized users and file electronically. An attorney may apply for an extension of time to comply with or a waiver from the electronic filing requirements pursuant to the requirements laid out in that order. If such a request is granted, the attorney will be required to accompany their paper filing with a disk or CD-ROM containing in portable document format (PDF) all documents filed with the Court. Attorneys who are granted extensions or waivers and are unable to create and submit computer disks in PDF format may scan the paper document utilizing a document scanner that will be available in the Clerk's Office. The system will also be capable of accepting paper input from pro se filers and others as necessary. In that case, the court would convert the papers to electronic format by scanning and then adding the scanned image into the ECF system.

Will attorneys be able to access the ECF system after the court's regular business hours to file cases and review documents/docket sheets?  

The system will be made available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Will the noticing component of CM/ECF be dependent upon a particular email system?

The CM/ECF system is not dependent upon the court's email system.  It uses standard features of Internet email so that it can work with the great variety of systems that the attorneys may have.

Will federal or local rules be in place to establish procedures for electronic filing?

The Federal Rules of Procedure currently authorizes individual courts to permit electronic filing of documents.  As our court prepares for CM/ECF implementation, the court will issue rules and regulations.

Does the nature or design of this system require that the local court train all attorneys in the district how to use it?

The court will provide training to attorneys.  Training aids and documentation will be provided.

Case Related

Can an attorney edit a docket entry?

No.  An attorney cannot edit anything once it has been uploaded into the database.  During docketing of an event, the attorney can select from specific pull-down lists only.  An attorney can also add to the docket entry using free text, where permitted by the court, but only during preparation of docket entry.  Once the docket entry and document are officially submitted and electronically accepted by the court, only court personnel can revise or edit the docket entry.

How will payments of filing fees be handled for ECF cases?

Attorney filers will pay any incurred filing fees in CM/ECF with a credit card at the time of filing or by the close of business on the day of the filing. The court will no longer charge the user's credit card account number on file with the Clerk's office, refer to our link Procedures For Payment of Filing Fees When Electronic Filing in CM/ECF.