> 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/clerk-guide/reviewing-a-filing.md).

# Reviewing a Filing

When you open a filing from the queue, you enter the review screen. This is a split-panel layout: the **document viewer** on the left, the **review panel** on the right.

## Layout

* **Left panel** -- PDF document viewer with toolbar.
* **Right panel** -- Filing details, parties, documents list, fees and docket entries, notes, and action buttons.
* **Footer buttons** -- Save Draft, Accept, and Reject at the bottom of the review panel (see [Footer Buttons](#footer-buttons)).

You can collapse and expand the right panel to give the document viewer more space. Drag the divider to resize the panels.

{% hint style="info" %}
**📹 GIF:** The review screen split-panel layout -- dragging the divider between the document viewer and review panel to resize, then collapsing and expanding the right panel.
{% endhint %}

## Document Viewer

The viewer displays each document as a tab. The **lead document** is shown first. Click any tab to switch between documents in the filing.

Toolbar features:

* **Stamps** -- Add one or more stamps to a document. Choose from system presets (Filed, Certified Copy, Conformed Copy, etc.) or create your own custom stamps. Each stamp can be positioned, resized, and set to appear on the first page only or all pages. Lock a stamp in place when you are satisfied with its position.
* **Margins** -- Toggle margin guides on or off.
* **Redact** -- Coming soon. The button is visible but disabled for now.
* **Organize** -- Open the document organizer to rearrange, split, or merge pages.

{% hint style="info" %}
**📹 GIF:** Using the document viewer toolbar -- adding a court stamp to the first page, positioning and resizing it, locking it in place, then toggling the margin guides on and off.
{% endhint %}

## Filing Information

The review panel's Filing Info section shows:

* **Submitted** -- When the filing arrived.
* **Filer** -- Who submitted it.
* **Case Type** and **Filing Type** -- The classification chosen by the filer.
* **Case #** -- The case number, if one exists.
* **Division** and **Judge** -- The division letter and judge on the case.
* **Parties** -- All parties on the filing. Click **Edit parties** to change them, **Add Party** to add one, and **Save Parties** when done.

The court itself is not editable -- a filing submitted to the wrong court must be rejected so the filer can refile in the right parish.

## Checking Documents

For each document, verify:

1. The document type is correct (e.g., "Petition" not "Motion").
2. The document is legible and complete.
3. Signatures are present where required.
4. No personally identifiable information is exposed (SSNs, dates of birth).
5. The filing fee matches the case type and document type.

You can change a document's **title** and **document type** directly from the review panel if the filer chose incorrectly. Click the document in the documents list to edit its metadata.

## The Documents Step

Each document in the documents list carries its own controls:

* **Accept / Reject per document** -- Mark each document individually. Rejecting some but not all documents turns your final decision into a partial accept (see [Accepting and Rejecting](/clerk-guide/accepting-and-rejecting.md#partial-accept)).
* **Note from filer** -- If the filer attached a note to a document, it appears in a callout so you see it before deciding.
* **Send to court in color** -- A toggle for documents that should be recorded in color rather than black and white.
* **Replace document** -- Swap in a corrected version of a document. The original is kept for the record.
* **Attach document to docket entry** -- Link a document to a specific docket entry on the filing.

## Clerk Notes vs. Note to Filer

There are two separate note fields on the review screen -- one private, one the filer will see:

* **Clerk Notes** are internal. The placeholder reads "Add internal notes about this filing (never shown to the filer)...". Other clerks can read them; the filer never can.
* **Note to filer** is a message the filer sees once you decide. Its placeholder reads "Note to the filer (optional) -- they see it once the filing is accepted or rejected...". It is limited to 2,000 characters. The note usually sits in the Fees step under the waiver panel; if the filing has no Fees step (a civil filing with no fee and no waiver), it appears in Notes & History instead.

After your decision, the filer sees your note as a **Note from the Clerk** card on their case page, and the same text is included in the acceptance or rejection email. It also accompanies a fee-waiver denial.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Neither field auto-saves. Notes are saved when you click **Save Draft**, **Accept**, **Reject**, or **Deny** (on a waiver). A note typed just before you accept or reject is saved with that decision -- but if you leave the page without doing any of those, the text is lost.
{% endhint %}

The Reject dialog has its own third, reject-only **Notes (optional)** field -- that one travels with the rejection itself.

## Fees, Deposits & Docket Entries

The Fees step (labelled **Docket Entries** for criminal filings) is where you check the money side of the filing.

* **Ledger balance** -- For a filing on an existing case, the panel shows the case's **Ledger Balance** and current ledger, so you can confirm the deposit covers the docket fees.
* **Collect deposit** -- An editable field for new money added to the ledger ("New money added to the ledger"). Whatever you enter is charged with the filing and credited to the case.
* **Docket entries** -- The list of docket entries the filing will record. To add one, search with **Search docket entry types...**, set the amount, and click **Add docket entry**. Drag entries to reorder them ("Drag to reorder").

### Changing a Docket Entry's Type

If the filer picked the wrong docket entry type, click the entry's **description**. A **Change docket entry type** list opens -- it shows all types until you start typing to filter. Picking a type fills in the matching description and fee. If the entry was submitted by the filer with a document attached, the linked document is re-typed too, so the court record gets the corrected type.

Re-typing is refused once the entry has been recorded with the court, or once acceptance has started.

### When Fees Are Locked

If the filer's payment has already been collected (for example, after a failed payment was retried), fee amounts are locked and the panel shows a **PAID -- fees locked** badge. Its tooltip explains: "The charge was already collected -- fee amounts are locked so they match the money received".

{% hint style="info" %}
**📹 GIF:** Clicking a docket entry's description, filtering the "Change docket entry type" list, picking the correct type, and the description and fee updating -- then adding a new docket entry and dragging it into position.
{% endhint %}

## Document Operations

### Split

Split a multi-document PDF into separate filing documents:

1. Click the **split** action on a document.
2. Define segments by selecting page ranges.
3. Assign a title, document type, and lead status to each segment.
4. Confirm. The original document is marked as split and hidden; the new segments replace it.

### Reorganize

Reorganize lets you restructure all documents in a filing at the page level:

1. Open the document organizer from the toolbar.
2. Drag pages between document groups or create new groups.
3. Rotate or remove pages as needed.
4. Assign titles, document types, and flags (lead, sealed) to each group.
5. Save. The system reassembles the PDFs and replaces the originals.

### Redact

Redaction is **coming soon**. The Redact button appears in the toolbar but is disabled for now -- if a document contains unredacted personal information, reject the filing with notes explaining what needs to be redacted so the filer can correct and resubmit.

## Sending a Filing to a Judge

When a filing needs judicial review or a signature, use the **Actions** step of the review panel. There are two modes:

* **E-Filing** -- **Send to Judge** delivers the filing to a judge (or their judicial staff) inside the system. See [Accepting and Rejecting -- Sending to a Judge](/clerk-guide/accepting-and-rejecting.md#sending-to-a-judge).
* **Paper** -- **Email to Judge** sends document links by email to a judge who works outside the system. Enter the judge's email, optionally a message ("Message to judge (optional)..."), and click **Email**. The filing status changes to **Emailed to Judge** and a confirmation shows who was emailed and when (e.g., "Emailed to <judge@example.com> · Jul 2"). You can then use **Send to Printer** to queue paper copies.

## Send to Printer

You can send a filing's documents to your personal print queue from the **Actions** step.

1. In the review panel, find the **Send to Printer** section.
2. Click **Add N document(s) to Print Queue**.

The documents are added to your print queue (accessible from the **Printing** page in the sidebar). Documents that are already in the queue are not duplicated. See [Printing](/clerk-guide/printing.md) for more about managing the print queue.

## Footer Buttons

At the bottom of the review panel:

* **Save Draft** -- Saves your work so far (stamps, notes, document decisions) without deciding the filing.
* **Accept** -- Opens the Accept dialog. The button reads **Partial** when any document is marked rejected. For a judge-signed filing that was already recorded, it reads **Record signed version** instead (or **Send to print queue** at a [standalone parish](/clerk-guide/standalone-parishes.md)).
* **Reject** -- Opens the Reject dialog.

Two situations disable a footer button, with a tooltip explaining why:

| Button     | Disabled when                        | Tooltip                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| ---------- | ------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Reject** | Payment has already been collected   | "Payment has already been collected. Accept the filing to record it, or refund the charge in ValPay before rejecting."                                                                    |
| **Accept** | Fees are owed and no card is on file | "This filing still owes the e-filing and convenience fees, and no card is on file to charge -- not the filer's, their paralegal's, or the firm's. Waiting for one of them to add a card." |

## Keyboard Shortcuts

| Shortcut    | Action                               |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------ |
| **Alt + A** | Open the Accept dialog               |
| **Alt + R** | Open the Reject dialog               |
| **Alt + N** | Skip to the next filing in the queue |

{% hint style="warning" %}
Keyboard shortcuts are disabled when you are typing in a text field or textarea.
{% endhint %}


---

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