# Welcome

CottFile is an electronic court filing system for Louisiana parish courts. Attorneys and self-represented litigants submit filings online, clerks review and process them in a structured queue, judges sign orders, and administrators configure their court — all from a single platform. One account lets you file across every connected parish.

## Who Is This For?

| Role                 | What You Do                                                                                                                   | Get Started                             |
| -------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| **Attorney / Filer** | File new cases, submit documents on existing cases, track filing status, manage payments, and configure organization settings | [Filer Guide](/filer-guide/overview.md) |
| **Pro Se Litigant**  | Self-represented filers — same filing tools as attorneys, without a Bar Number                                                | [Filer Guide](/filer-guide/overview.md) |
| **Clerk**            | Review incoming filings in a table-based queue, accept or reject, stamp documents, manage printing                            | [Clerk Guide](/clerk-guide/overview.md) |
| **Judge**            | Review filings routed for judicial approval from an inbox, sign or return orders                                              | [Judge Guide](/judge-guide/overview.md) |
| **Court Admin**      | Configure parish settings — filing types, fee schedules, queues, routing rules, staff, and announcements                      | [Admin Guide](/admin-guide/overview.md) |
| **Platform Admin**   | Manage parishes, organizations, users, and system-wide configuration across all courts                                        | [Admin Guide](/admin-guide/overview.md) |

## How a Filing Moves Through the System

1. **Filer** creates and submits a filing with documents and party information
2. Filing enters the **clerk review queue** and is assigned to a clerk
3. **Clerk** reviews documents, checks for deficiencies, and accepts or rejects
4. If the filing requires judicial approval, the clerk routes it to a **judge**
5. **Judge** reviews, signs, or returns the filing
6. Accepted filings are stamped and recorded into the court's case management system (Verdict CMS)
7. **Payment** is charged to the filer's stored card upon acceptance

Throughout this process, all parties receive email notifications at each status change.

## Key Features

* **Multi-parish filing** — one account to file across every connected Louisiana parish court
* **Payments** — filing fees charged on acceptance, with transaction history and receipts
* **AI Assistant** — built-in assistant available to filers, clerks, and admins
* **PDF tools** — split, combine, stamp, and redact documents without leaving the system
* **Organization settings** — attorneys can manage team members, billing, and preferences
* **Parish settings** — clerks and court admins configure their court's filing types, fees, queues, and routing
* **Print queue** — clerks can batch-print accepted filings
* **Real-time notifications** — track every filing from submission through acceptance

## Quick Links

* [Creating Your Account](/getting-started/creating-your-account.md)
* [Signing In](/getting-started/signing-in.md)
* [Filing Statuses Explained](/reference/filing-statuses.md)
* [AI Assistant](/ai-assistant/using-the-ai-assistant.md)
* [FAQ](/reference/faq.md)


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