Using the AI Assistant
Cott E-Filing includes a built-in AI assistant that understands your role, the page you are on, and the filings you have access to. You can ask it questions in plain language and it will look up real data to give you accurate answers.
Opening the Chat Panel
The AI assistant is available as a collapsible side panel on every page in the system. Click the chat icon in the top navigation bar to open it. The panel slides in from the right without leaving your current page.
From the panel header you can:
Start a new conversation by clicking the + button
Switch between conversations using the tabs at the top
View chat history by clicking the clock icon
Expand to full-page mode by clicking the expand icon (or navigate directly to /chat)
Close the panel with the X button
Your conversations are saved automatically. You can close the panel, navigate to a different page, and pick up right where you left off.
Context-Aware Suggestions
The assistant detects which page you are on and adjusts its suggestions accordingly. When you open a new conversation, you will see quick-start prompts tailored to your current context.
Filer suggestions
Dashboard
"How do I file a new case?", "Check my recent filings", "What are the document requirements?"
Filing wizard
"What documents do I need?", "How do fee waivers work?", "What are the file size limits?"
Case detail
"Why was my filing rejected?", "How do I resubmit?", "What does this status mean?"
Clerk suggestions
Queue board
"What's the queue status?", "Show my assigned items", "How does the review process work?"
Review page
"What should I check before accepting?", "Show my assigned items", "Explain this rejection code"
Admin suggestions
Admin panel
"Show queue overview", "How do routing rules work?", "Help with fee schedule setup"
Click any suggestion to send it immediately, or type your own question.
What the AI Can Help With
The assistant has access to real-time data scoped to your permissions. It never guesses -- it calls tools to look up actual information before responding.
For Filers (Attorneys, Pro Se, Organizations, Government)
Filing status -- "What's the status of filing EF-EBR-2026-0042?"
Rejection details -- "Why was my last filing rejected?"
Procedure guidance -- "How do I file on an existing case?"
Document requirements -- "What documents do I need for a civil suit?"
Fee information -- "How do fee waivers work?"
Notification history -- "Show my recent notifications"
Court information -- "What are the court hours for East Baton Rouge?"
For Clerks and Judicial Staff
Everything above, plus:
Queue status -- "How many items are in the queue right now?"
Assignment workload -- "Show my assigned items"
Review guidance -- "What should I check before accepting this filing?"
Queue item assignment -- "Assign item #45 to Jane Smith"
Analytics -- "What are the top rejection reasons this week?"
For Court Administrators
Everything above, plus:
Queue overview -- "Show me queue depth across all queues"
Analytics and reports -- "What's the average review time this month?"
Configuration guidance -- "How do routing rules work?"
User management -- "How many active clerks do we have?"
@Mentions -- Reference Specific Data
Type @ in the chat input to mention a specific filing, case, document, party, or court. A dropdown appears with items you have access to.
@filing -- Reference a filing by its filing number
@case -- Reference a CMS case by case number
@document -- Reference a specific uploaded document
@party -- Reference a party by name
@court -- Reference a court
When you select a mention, it appears as a chip below the input field. The assistant automatically receives the relevant context for that item, so you can ask follow-up questions like:
@EF-EBR-2026-0042 Why was this rejected?
@Smith v. Jones What filings are on this case?
Filers see their own filings and documents in the mention dropdown. Clerks and staff see filings for their assigned court.
Tool Calls -- How the AI Looks Up Data
When the assistant needs to answer a data question, it calls tools behind the scenes. You will see tool call cards appear in the conversation showing what the assistant is doing:
Search Filings -- looks up filings by number, status, or date range
Get Filing Detail -- pulls the full details of a specific filing
Queue Status -- checks the current state of the clerk review queue
Filing Guide -- retrieves step-by-step procedural guidance
Search CMS Cases -- looks up cases in the Verdict CMS
Get Notifications -- checks your notification history
Get Court Info -- retrieves court details, hours, and locations
Get Document Types -- looks up valid document types for a case type
Submit Support Ticket -- escalates a technical issue to the support team
Each tool call card shows whether it is running or complete, and includes a brief summary of the result once finished.
The assistant can only access data you are authorized to see. It respects the same permission boundaries as the rest of the platform.
Full-Page Chat Mode
For longer conversations or when you want more screen space, click the expand icon in the panel header or navigate directly to /chat.
Full-page mode includes:
A conversation sidebar on the left for managing multiple chats
A larger message area in the center
An Agent Flow panel on the right that visualizes the AI's reasoning steps and tool calls in real time
A Tools directory tab where you can browse all available tools and click to mention them
Managing Conversations
New conversation -- Click the + button to start fresh. Each conversation tracks its own topic.
Switch conversations -- Click a tab (in the side panel) or a conversation in the sidebar (in full-page mode).
Delete a conversation -- Hover over a conversation and click the trash icon. If you delete your only conversation, a new empty one is created automatically.
Conversation titles are derived from your first message and update automatically.
Conversations are saved on the server and persist across browser sessions. You can start a conversation on your phone and continue it on your desktop.
Tips for Getting the Best Results
Be specific -- "What's the status of EF-EBR-2026-0042?" works better than "What's my status?"
Use @mentions for targeted questions about specific filings, cases, or documents
Ask follow-ups -- The assistant remembers the conversation context, so you can ask "Why?" or "What should I do next?" without repeating details
Check the tool calls -- If the answer seems off, look at the tool call cards to see what data the assistant found
Start a new chat when switching topics to keep conversations focused
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