> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.cottfile.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.cottfile.com/admin-guide/setting-up-a-court.md). # Setting Up a Parish Parishes (courts) are the top-level entity in the system. Every queue, filing, and announcement belongs to a specific parish. {% hint style="warning" %} **There is no "create a parish" form in the Admin Panel.** New parishes are provisioned directly in the database as part of a go-live checklist — the court record, payment (ValPay) accounts, queues, and staff users are inserted by hand. For parishes connected to Verdict, case types, sub-types, document types, and fee schedules then auto-sync from Verdict CMS at runtime. Once a parish exists, you adjust its settings from the per-parish **Config** page described below. {% endhint %} ## Editing a Parish (Config) To edit a parish, open it from the **Parishes** card grid, then choose **Config** in the parish sidebar. The Config page is a form with five sections: **General**, **E-Filing**, **Verdict CMS**, **Stamp Behavior**, and a read-only **ValPay** section. ### General | Field | Required | Description | | ---------------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Court Name** | Yes | Full name of the court (e.g., "22nd Judicial District Court") | | **Code** | Yes | Short identifier, 2-10 characters (e.g., "WASH") | | **State** | Yes | Two-letter state code (e.g., "LA") | | **Jurisdiction Label** | Yes | How the jurisdiction is labeled in forms. Use "Parish", "District", or "County" | | **External ID (CMS)** | No | Unique identifier used by the external CMS (e.g., a Verdict GUID or court identifier) | ### E-Filing A single **E-Filing Enabled** toggle. When disabled, the court is removed from the filer's court list entirely — filers cannot even select it when starting a filing. ### Verdict CMS | Field | Description | | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Civil Court Code** | Court code used by the Verdict CMS API for civil cases (e.g., "WA-Civil") | | **Criminal Court Code** | Court code used by the Verdict CMS API for criminal cases (e.g., "WA") | | **Standalone** | Switch labeled "Standalone — CottFile is this parish's case management system." For parishes that are not on Verdict (or any connected CMS) | **What standalone means:** the parish gets the full e-filing product — filings are reviewed, stamped, and charged at acceptance exactly as usual — but nothing is pushed to a case management system. Because no CMS issues case numbers through CottFile, the **clerk types in the case number** from the parish's own case management system when (or after) accepting a filing. A standalone parish also manages its own filing types and docket entries in the Admin Panel — see [Case Types and Documents](/admin-guide/case-types-and-documents.md). The switch is disabled while any Verdict court code is set: "Unavailable while a Verdict court code is set — Verdict is the system of record for this parish." To move a standalone parish onto Verdict later, simply fill in its Verdict court codes — the Verdict connection then takes over. ### Stamp Behavior One setting: **"Default to stamping the first page only."** As the help text explains: "When on, opening a filing in the review console defaults the court stamp to the first page only. Clerks can still override per filing. When off, the stamp defaults to every page." ### ValPay (read-only) The ValPay section lists each payment account configured for the court — its role, a Live/Test badge, store ID, balance account ID, and DBA name. These accounts are managed in the Adyen dashboard and are **read-only** here. ### Saving Make your changes and click **Save Changes**. The button is disabled until you change something; while you have unsaved edits, a "You have unsaved changes" note appears, and the button shows "Saved" briefly after a successful save. {% hint style="info" %} There is no row-level e-filing toggle, no delete-parish action, and no location management in the Admin Panel — all court editing happens through this Config form. {% endhint %} --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. 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