> 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/getting-started/first-steps-by-role.md).

# First Steps by Role

After creating your account and signing in, your first actions depend on your role. This page gives you a quick-start checklist for each role so you know exactly what to do first.

***

## Attorney

You land on the **filer dashboard** after signing in. Here is what to do first:

1. **Review your profile.** Go to **Profile** in the sidebar and verify that your name, bar number, phone number, and mailing address are correct. Your bar number is used to link you to cases in the court system.
2. **Add a payment card.** On your Profile page, scroll to **Payment Methods** and add a credit or debit card. Filing fees are charged when the clerk accepts your filing, so having a card on file avoids delays.
3. **Join or create an organization (optional).** If you are part of a law firm, go to **Settings** in the sidebar to manage your organization profile, invite team members, and set up a shared firm card for billing.
4. **File your first case.** On the dashboard, click **File a Case** to open the filing wizard. Walk through the six steps: select court, choose filing type, add parties, upload documents, review fees, and submit.
5. **Explore the AI Assistant.** Click the chat icon in the top navigation bar to open the AI assistant. Ask it questions like "What documents do I need for a civil suit?" or "How do fee waivers work?"

{% hint style="info" %}
**📹 GIF:** An attorney signing in for the first time -- reviewing the dashboard stat cards, clicking Profile to check bar number, then clicking "File a Case" to open the filing wizard.
{% endhint %}

***

## Pro Se (Self-Represented Litigant)

You land on the **filer dashboard** after signing in. Your experience is the same as an attorney, with a few differences:

1. **Save your PIN.** After onboarding, you received a personal PIN (e.g., PS-12345). Write it down or save it somewhere safe -- you may need it for identification at the courthouse.
2. **Review your profile.** Go to **Profile** in the sidebar and verify that your name, phone number, and mailing address are correct.
3. **Add a payment card.** On your Profile page, scroll to **Payment Methods** and add a card for filing fees.
4. **File your first case.** Click **File a Case** on the dashboard. The filing wizard walks you through each step. If you are unsure which case type or document type to select, use the AI assistant for guidance.
5. **Ask the AI Assistant for help.** The assistant is designed to help self-represented filers navigate the system. Ask questions like "How do I file a new case?" or "What does this status mean?"

{% hint style="info" %}
Pro se filers have access to the same filing tools as attorneys. The main difference is that you use a system-generated PIN instead of a bar number.
{% endhint %}

***

## Organization Administrator

You land on the **filer dashboard** after signing in. As an org admin, you manage filings and your organization:

1. **Set up your organization profile.** Go to **Settings** in the sidebar. On the Organization Profile page, fill in your organization name, type, address, phone, and email.
2. **Add a firm payment card.** Navigate to **Settings > Billing** and add a shared credit or debit card. Team members can choose to use this card when filing.
3. **Invite team members.** Go to **Settings > Team Members** and send email invitations to attorneys and staff in your organization. They will receive an invite link to register and join.
4. **File a case or delegate.** You can file cases yourself or let team members file using the organization's account and shared card.
5. **Monitor failed payments.** The Billing page shows any filings with failed payments across your organization. Use **Retry All** to reattempt charges after updating your card.

{% hint style="info" %}
**📹 GIF:** An org admin navigating to Settings, filling in the organization profile, then going to Team Members and sending an email invitation to a new team member.
{% endhint %}

***

## Clerk

You land on the **filing review queue** after signing in. Here is what to do first:

1. **Familiarize yourself with the queue board.** The queue is a table organized by filing status: Received, Under Review, Accepted, and Rejected. Items are sorted by priority then by age (oldest first).
2. **Pick up your first filing.** Click any row in the Received column to open it. The system assigns the filing to you and moves it to Under Review.
3. **Review the documents.** The review screen is a split-panel layout -- PDF viewer on the left, filing details on the right. Check each document for completeness, correct type, legible content, and required signatures.
4. **Make a decision.** Click **Accept** to accept the filing (stamps are applied and the filing is recorded to the CMS) or **Reject** to send it back to the filer with a reason and optional deficiency notices.
5. **Learn the keyboard shortcuts.** Alt + A to accept, Alt + R to reject, Alt + N to advance to the next filing. These save significant time during high-volume processing.

{% hint style="info" %}
**📹 GIF:** A clerk opening the review queue, clicking a filing in the Received column, reviewing the document in the split-panel viewer, and clicking Accept.
{% endhint %}

***

## Judge

You land on your **judicial inbox** after signing in. Here is what to do first:

1. **Review your inbox.** The inbox shows filings that clerks have routed to you for review. Unread filings appear bold with a blue dot. Each row shows the case title, document type, filer, priority, and age.
2. **Open a filing.** Click a row to open the review screen with the PDF viewer on the left and filing details on the right.
3. **Read the routing note.** The clerk may have attached a note explaining why the filing needs your attention and what decision is expected. Look for the highlighted note box below the filing info.
4. **Sign or return.** Click **Sign Filing** to approve (you can draw, upload, or use a saved signature) or **Return to Clerk** if something needs correction. Select a return reason and add a note for the clerk.
5. **Save your signature.** When signing for the first time, check **Save this signature for future use** so you do not need to draw or upload it again.

{% hint style="info" %}
**📹 GIF:** A judge opening a filing from the inbox, reading the clerk's routing note, clicking "Sign Filing," drawing a signature on the canvas, and clicking "Sign & Approve."
{% endhint %}

***

## Court Administrator

You land on the **filing review queue** after signing in (you have full clerk access). To access administration, use the **Settings** link in the sidebar.

1. **Set up your parish profile.** In Settings, go to **Parish Profile** and verify your court's name, code, locations, and jurisdiction details.
2. **Configure filing types.** Go to **Filing Types** and ensure all case types and subtypes are set up for your court. If your court uses Verdict CMS, you can sync filing types from Verdict.
3. **Set up fee schedules.** Go to **Fee Schedules** and create fee entries for each case type and document type combination. Choose flat, per-page, or graduated fee structures.
4. **Create review queues.** Go to **Queues** and set up the queue columns your clerks will use (e.g., New Filings, Under Review, Ready to Record). Configure assignment methods (manual, round-robin, or rules-based).
5. **Add routing rules.** Go to **Routing Rules** to define how incoming filings are automatically assigned to queues or clerks based on case type, document type, filer type, or fee status.

{% hint style="info" %}
**📹 GIF:** A court admin navigating to Settings, clicking through Parish Profile, Filing Types, Fee Schedules, and Queues to show the full configuration workflow.
{% endhint %}

***

## Platform Administrator

You land on the **admin panel** after signing in. The admin panel gives you control across all parishes.

1. **Review existing parishes.** Go to **Parishes** to see all courts in the system. Verify that e-filing is enabled for each active court.
2. **Check user accounts.** Go to **Users** to review recent registrations. Assign court staff to the correct courts and verify that roles are accurate.
3. **Review reports.** Go to **Reports** to check filing volume, rejection reasons, queue depth, and clerk productivity across all courts.
4. **Post announcements.** Go to **Announcements** to create court-wide notices visible to filers (e.g., holiday closures, maintenance windows).
5. **Monitor queue health.** Use the Queue Depth report to identify courts where filings are piling up or aging, and coordinate with court admins to address bottlenecks.


---

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