Your eFiling is due today, and you’ve done your homework.
Your document is in a text-searchable PDF format.
Your exhibits have been bookmarked.
You have redacted any confidential information, and you have correctly numbered your pages.
Check, check, check and check.
But wait, there’s one more lesser-known issue to consider: the ability for the court to open your document.
If the court can’t open your filing, they can’t review it – and therefore, can’t file it.
There are a few reasons why this might happen. We have outlined some common mistakes so that you can avoid facing a rejection simply because the court cannot open your document.
Your document is password protected
If you have applied an electronic signature to your document. Once you sign the document with an electronic signature, it locks the document to ensure that no one can make changes once it has been signed.
However, that means that when it ends up at court, the clerk is unable to open the document because it is password protected. If the clerk can’t open it, it can’t be reviewed, so it is subsequently rejected. Rather than using an electronic signature, sign your document using a /s/ followed by the signer’s name pursuant to California Rule of Court 2.257.
Read eFiling and electronic signatures: the basics>>
Your file is corrupted
You may have converted your document from a Word document into a PDF, or perhaps you scanned your exhibits and something went wrong in the process. If your file is corrupted for any reason, the court will not be able to open it.
Once you upload your document within the One Legal workflow, you can preview the document by clicking on the magnifying glass to ensure that is it working properly and avoid a rejection.
Your file size is too large
Always ensure that your file size stays within your court’s eFiling submission requirements. If a file size is too large, the court will not accept your document. Optimize your PDF and reduce your file size when necessary!
Learn more about how to reduce the size of your PDF>>
You now know how to avoid submitting a document that the court can’t open. It’s always nice to have a little peace of mind, so if you would like someone to check your eFiling prior to submission in order to ensure that there are no obvious errors, add Double Check to your order!
