Notifications

CottFile keeps you informed two ways: in-app notifications in the notification center, and emails for key events. In-app notifications are always on; emails are configurable.

The Notification Center

Click the bell icon in the top bar (it carries an unread count badge) or Notifications in the sidebar. The page has two modes:

• Notifications -- Your notifications, newest first, with a "New" badge on unread items and the unread count in the mode switch.

• Activity Trail -- The same events grouped by filing, shown as a timeline, so you can follow one filing's full history.

Tools on the page:

• Search -- "Search notifications..." finds items by text.

• Filters -- Accepted, Rejected, Pending, In Review, Fee Waiver, and Activity.

• Mark all read -- Clears the unread badges.

• Gear icon -- Opens Email preferences.

Select a notification to see its details in the pane beside the list; each one links to the related filing.

📹 GIF: Opening the notification center from the bell icon, switching between Notifications and Activity Trail, filtering by Rejected, and clicking a notification to view its details.

Email Preferences

Open Email Preferences from the gear icon on the notifications page. As the page explains: "Choose which notifications are delivered to your email. In-app notifications are always shown regardless of these settings."

Where notifications are sent

By default, emails go to your sign-in address. You can instead list up to 5 addresses -- including a shared firm inbox like [e-mail]:

• Add address -- Adds a recipient field.

• Start from my sign-in address -- Pre-fills the first field with your login email.

Adding any address replaces your sign-in address as the recipient. If you still want emails at your sign-in address, add it to the list explicitly.

Choosing which emails you get

Six toggles control the email types, with Enable all / Disable all shortcuts:

Toggle	What it sends
Filing Submitted	Confirmation when your filing is submitted for clerk review.
Filing Accepted	When the clerk accepts your filing (including when the clerk records a judge-signed filing).
Filing Rejected	When your filing is rejected, with reasons and next steps.
Fee Waiver Decision	The outcome of a fee waiver request.
Case Activity	Reserved -- no emails are sent for case activity today. In-app updates always appear regardless of this toggle.
System Alerts	Platform announcements and maintenance notices.

Click Save preferences to apply your changes.

Judge steps themselves (routing, signing, returning) do not generate filer emails -- your email arrives when the clerk makes the final decision on the filing.

📹 GIF: The Email Preferences page -- adding a shared firm inbox under "Where notifications are sent," toggling off Filing Submitted, and clicking Save preferences.

The Emails You Receive

Email	When	What it contains
Filing Submitted	Right after you submit	Case number (or "Pending"), court, filing type, lead document, submission time, estimated fee, and a View Filing Details button.
Filing Accepted	When the clerk accepts	Filing details, a payment block with your receipt, and any Note from the Clerk.
Filing Rejected	When the clerk rejects	The reason, notes, any Note from the Clerk, and a Correct and Resubmit button.
Fee Waiver Denied	When a waiver request is denied	The decision -- a card must then be on file before the filing can be accepted.
Payment failed	When the charge at acceptance declines	The failure reason, and a reminder that once payment goes through, your filing returns to the clerk's queue for acceptance.
Deposit Receipt	After an Add Funds deposit top-up	Confirmation of the amount added to the case deposit.

If a paralegal prepared the filing, they receive the same emails according to their own email preferences.