Technical Free Copy Questions

  • Why am I unable to view the free pdf document?

    1. Log in to CM/ECF as if you were going to e-file, making sure you can see the "Civil" and "Criminal" menu options. 2. Go back to the email and click on the document number (ie, 16). 3. Make sure your email program is opening the link using the same browser (Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox) as the one you used to log onto CM/ECF. 4. If you are prompted again to input a login and password combination (after following step 3), you should use your PACER account information. This is common for restricted documents. Note: If someone else, who is authorized to use your ECF User login, has already viewed the document, your one free view will have expired. You will need to log into PACER and you will be subject to PACER fees.

  • Is there an expiration with the one free look?

    Yes. 15 days from the date the Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF) is sent to the recipients.

  • Can an attorney's support staff receive a copy of the Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF) e-mail?

    Yes. Attorneys may add support staff as secondary recipients through the Maintain Your E-Mail Address screen on the Utilites page of CM/ECF.

  • Who receives the automatic e-mail notification?

    The e-mail notification goes to the e-mail address of the registered attorney of record in a case and to all secondary email accounts associated with the attorney's ECF user account.

  • How do I receive my “free copy” of a document?

    Each attorney of record in a case will receive a Notice of Electronic Filing which is delivered to the e-mail address on record with the court. Once the NEF is opened, the document control number will contain a hyperlink to a document that has been filed. One free look is available to each attorney of record .

    CAUTION: the one free look is associated with the attorneys CM/ECF login and password. If an attorney has a secondary e-mail notifications associated with his/her user account, he/she is only entitled to one free look, regardless of who looks at it first. Attorneys may list additional e-mail addresses so that members of his/her support staff can be notified of a filing. The hyperlink to access the document will expire after the first look or 15 days, whichever occurs first.

    Any time the hyperlink to a document is accessed after expiration, or the one free look, or if the user is not counsel of record, the user will be asked for a PACER login and will be subject to PACER fees. In order to avoid charges, ECF users are advised to print or save the document during the initial viewing period.

  • Will I be billed by PACER if I access a PDF document through the Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF) more than once?

    Yes. Users are encouraged to save documents the first time it is viewed for subsequent access.

  • Does the one free look pertain only to the main document, or does it include all attachments?

    The one free look pertains to all attachments, as well as the main document filed.

  • What if an attorney needs to view a document more than once?

    The attorney will be subject to PACER fees every time a document is accessed after the first free look.

  • I click on the document number link and nothing happens. Why?

    If you are using AOL mail and the AOL browser, you should change the email notification from HTML to text.

    You may be using an older MacIntosh computer. Try updating the Safari browser or downloading the free Mozilla Firefox browser.

    A .pdf reader software may not be installed on the computer you are using.

  • When I click on the link in my e-mail, why do I get a blank screen?

    It is possible some of the settings on your PDF viewer are incorrect. If you are using an Adobe product, try the following: Click on Edit >> Preferences>> Internet >> uncheck Allow Fast Web View and Display PDF in Browser.

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