Standalone Parishes
Some parishes use CottFile for e-filing while keeping their own case management system. If your parish is set up this way, CottFile never writes to any case management system -- your office enters accepted filings into your own system, and CottFile adapts in a few visible ways. Everything else in the clerk guide works the same.
Case Numbers Come From Your System
CottFile never issues a case number at a standalone parish -- your case management system does. So:
At acceptance, the case number is optional
The Accept dialog has a Case number (optional) field (placeholder "e.g., 2024-12345"). Its help text explains: "Stamped onto the documents. Leave blank if this case hasn't been entered into your case management system yet -- you can add the number from the queue afterwards, and the stamp will simply omit it."
Adding or editing the number afterwards
An Add case # link appears in the queue's Case # cell and in the review panel's Filing Info Case # row (placeholder "e.g. FA-COTT-2026-00161"). Type the number your system assigned and save.
If you accepted with the field blank, the stamp simply omits the case number. Adding the number later does not change the stamp already on the documents.
An existing number stays editable (Edit case number).
Editable Case and Filing Types
Because reference data is not synced from a case management system, Case Type and Filing Type are editable on the review screen -- even on existing cases. (Your admin portal is where the lists themselves are maintained.)
Deposits and Fees
A local Deposit docket entry type is created automatically for your parish. It powers the filer's Add deposit option and your Collect deposit field ("New money added to the ledger") on the review screen.
Deposits and fees are charged to the filer's card at acceptance, exactly as at any other parish. Nothing is posted to any case management system.
There is no Ledger Balance column and no Remaining Ledger Balance row -- the deposit ledger lives in your own system.
What the Accept Dialog Leaves Out
Compared to other parishes, the Accept dialog at a standalone parish:
Has the Case number (optional) field described above.
Has no Assign Filing To party selector.
Has no case-management-system Filing Date block.
The acceptance overlay's last step reads "Recording the filing".
Automatic Print Handoff
So your office always has paper to enter into its own system:
Every document on an accepted filing is added to the accepting clerk's print queue automatically.
Judge-signed filings are handed to the print queue the same way -- the footer button on a signed filing reads Send to print queue (instead of Record signed version).
See Printing for working the print queue.
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