FAQ & Troubleshooting

Answers to common questions about using CottFile.

Account & Login

How do I create an account? Click Sign In on the homepage and select Create Account. Choose your role (Attorney, Pro Se, Org Admin, or Government), fill in your information, and complete registration. Attorneys will need their Louisiana Bar Roll Number. See Creating Your Account.

Can I sign in with Google or Microsoft? Yes — attorneys and public filers can use Google or Microsoft sign-in. Court staff must use email and password only.

I forgot my password. How do I reset it? Click Forgot your password? on the sign-in page. Enter your email address and you'll receive a reset link valid for 1 hour. See Signing In.

I'm not receiving the password reset email. Check your spam or junk folder. If you still don't see it, contact your court's e-filing administrator to verify your email address is correct.

I'm a Pro Se filer and lost my PIN. Contact your court's e-filing administrator. They can look up your PIN or issue a new one.

Can I change my email address or bar roll number? These cannot be changed from the profile page. Contact your court's e-filing administrator to update them.

Can I file in multiple parishes with one account? Yes. A single CottFile account works across all connected Louisiana parish courts. You do not need separate accounts for each parish.

What's the difference between the two login pages? Attorneys and the public use the main Sign In page (supports Google/Microsoft login). Court staff (clerks, judges, admins) use the Court Staff login (email/password only).

Filing

What file formats does the system accept? PDF is preferred (text-searchable recommended). TIFF and Word documents (.doc, .docx) are also accepted. See Document Requirements.

What's the maximum file size? 300 MB per individual file. If your documents are larger, use the built-in compress or split tools.

What is a "lead document"? The lead document is the primary document in your filing — typically the petition, motion, or main court paper. Every filing must have exactly one lead document. Supporting documents (exhibits, affidavits) are not the lead.

Can I file a new criminal case? No. Criminal cases cannot be initiated through e-filing. You can only file follow-up documents on existing criminal cases.

Can I file on a case that already exists? Yes. Use File on Existing Case from your dashboard. Search by case number, party name, or attorney bar roll number, then upload your documents.

Can I save my filing and finish it later? Yes. The filing wizard auto-saves your progress as a draft. You can also click Save Draft at any point. Resume from the My Drafts page. Drafts are kept indefinitely — no deletion countdown.

When is my filing officially timestamped? Your filing's official timestamp is the moment you click Submit — not when the clerk accepts it. This is legally important for filing deadlines and priority disputes.

What happens after I submit? Your filing enters the clerk's review queue. You'll receive email notifications as it moves through the process — when a clerk starts reviewing, and when it's accepted or rejected. Processing typically takes 1-2 business days.

What are the built-in PDF tools? Before submitting, you can split, combine, reorder, rotate, and delete pages from your PDFs — all within the filing wizard. This is especially useful if you scanned multiple documents into one PDF.

Fees & Payments

How are filing fees calculated? Fees are automatically calculated based on your court, case type, and document type. The amount shown at submission is an estimate — the clerk may adjust it before acceptance.

When am I charged? Fees are only collected when the clerk accepts your filing. If your filing is rejected, you are never charged.

Are criminal filings free? Yes. Louisiana law prohibits charging filing fees for criminal matters. The system automatically shows zero fees for criminal case types.

What is the advance deposit? When you open a new civil case in Louisiana, you pay the filing fee plus a $350 advance deposit into a case account. Each subsequent filing in that case draws down from that balance. You'll be notified when the balance is running low.

Can I request a fee waiver? Yes. During the filing wizard (Step 4 — Fees), check the Request fee waiver box. Fee waiver requests are reviewed by a judge.

I'm a government attorney. Do I pay fees? Government agencies (DA, public defender, law enforcement) are fee-exempt. This is set at the account level — you don't need to request it per filing. If you should be fee-exempt and aren't, contact your court administrator.

Is online payment available? Yes. You can add a credit or debit card to your account via the secure Adyen payment system. Your card is stored securely and charged only when a clerk accepts your filing. You can manage your stored cards from your profile page.

What happens if my payment fails? If the charge to your stored card fails after a clerk accepts your filing, the filing moves to Payment Failed status. You'll receive an email and in-app notification. Update your card if needed and retry the payment from the filing detail page.

Rejections & Resubmissions

Why was my filing rejected? The rejection reason and clerk notes are shown on the filing detail page. Common reasons include: incomplete filing, incorrect form, missing signature, wrong court, or incorrect fee. See Correcting a Rejected Filing.

Am I charged if my filing is rejected? No. Rejected filings are never charged.

How do I resubmit a rejected filing? From your dashboard, click Resubmit next to the rejected filing. The wizard reopens with your original information pre-filled — you only need to fix what was wrong.

What does "Partial Accept" mean? Some documents in your filing were accepted and others were rejected. The accepted documents proceed to the court record. You only need to correct and resubmit the rejected documents.

Accepted Filings

Where do I get my stamped copy? After acceptance, a file-stamped PDF is available for download on your filing detail page. It's also sent to you via email. The stamp includes the case number, your original submission timestamp, and the court name.

What timestamp is on the stamp? The stamp uses your original submission time — not the time the clerk accepted it. This is legally significant.

Louisiana-Specific

Why does the system say "Parish" instead of "County"? Louisiana uses "Parish" instead of "County" — it's unique to Louisiana's legal system, which is based on French civil law. The system uses Louisiana terminology throughout.

What is a "Bar Roll Number"? This is Louisiana's term for the unique identifier assigned to licensed attorneys. It's not called a "bar number" in Louisiana.

What are the margin requirements? Louisiana courts require 2-inch top margins and 1-inch margins on all other sides. The clerk's document viewer highlights margins for compliance checking.

For Clerks

Why don't I see any filings on the Queue Board? Check that: (1) your account is assigned to the correct court, (2) the court has a default queue configured, and (3) filings have been submitted. Contact your court administrator if the issue persists.

Can I move a filing backward in the queue? No. Filings can only move forward through the queue stages. If you need to revisit a filing, use the actions on the review page.

How often does the queue refresh? The queue board auto-refreshes every 30 seconds. You can also click refresh manually.

How do I reassign a filing to another clerk? Open the filing in the review page and use the Reassign dropdown to select another clerk.

For Administrators

How do I set up a new court? Follow the step-by-step guide in Setting Up a Court.

Why aren't new filings appearing in the queue? Make sure at least one queue exists and one is marked as the default. Without a default queue, the system doesn't know where to place new filings.

How do I update filing fees? Navigate to Fee Schedules in the Admin Panel. See Configuring Filing Fees.

Technical

What browsers are supported? Any modern web browser — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge. No special software, plugins, or hardware required.

Does it work on mobile? The system is mobile-responsive. Filing and status tracking work well on phones. Complex tasks like PDF editing and clerk review work best on larger screens (tablet or desktop).

Is the system available 24/7? Yes, you can submit filings at any time. Filings submitted outside business hours will be reviewed on the next business day.

Still Need Help?

• Phone: (225) 555-1234 (Mon-Fri, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM CT)
• Email: support@cottfiling.com
• Emergency/after-hours filings: The system accepts submissions 24/7. For time-sensitive matters, contact the Clerk of Court directly.