> 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.** Open **Profile** from the user menu in the top-right corner and verify that your name, bar roll number, phone number, and mailing address are correct. Your bar roll 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, CottFile offers matching firms during onboarding ("Is this your firm?") and under **Settings** -- join directly when your firm's email domain matches, or **Request to join** and a member approves you. If your firm isn't on CottFile yet, create it from Settings and invite your team.
4. **File your first case.** On the dashboard, click **File a New Case** to open the filing wizard. Walk through the five steps: Court & Type, Parties, Documents, Fees, and Review.

{% 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 New Case" to open the filing wizard.
{% endhint %}

***

## Paralegal

You land on the **filer dashboard** after signing in. Paralegals file on behalf of the attorneys they are assigned to:

1. **Join your firm.** If your firm invited you, you were linked automatically at signup. Otherwise, join or create the firm during onboarding or from **Settings** (see the Attorney section above -- the same join flow applies).
2. **Get assigned to attorneys.** An org admin assigns you to the attorneys you file for (**Settings > Team Members > Edit**, "Filing on behalf of"). Until you're assigned -- or you add an attorney yourself -- your member row shows *"No attorneys assigned -- cannot file yet."*
3. **Review your profile and payment setup.** Verify your contact details, and note that paralegals can manage the firm's shared payment card under **Settings > Billing**.
4. **File on behalf of an attorney.** In the filing wizard, you select which of your assigned attorneys the filing is submitted for. If an attorney isn't on CottFile yet, you can create their profile -- they claim it later by signing up with the same email.

{% hint style="info" %}
Paralegals can also create a firm at signup. A firm created by a paralegal has no org admin until a platform administrator promotes someone.
{% 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.** Open **Profile** from the user menu in the top-right corner 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 New Case** on the dashboard. The filing wizard walks you through each step. If you are unsure which case type or document type to select, check the [FAQ](/reference/faq.md) or contact your court clerk's office for guidance.

{% 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 click **Add Member** to add attorneys, paralegals, and staff by email. People without an account get an invite link (valid for 7 days) and pick their own role at signup; existing solo filers are added immediately; filers already in another firm get an invite to switch that they must accept themselves.
4. **Approve join requests.** When someone asks to join your firm, a **Join Requests** card appears under Team Members (and an ACTION NEEDED banner on the dashboard). Only approve people you know belong to your firm.
5. **File a case or delegate.** You can file cases yourself or let team members file using the organization's account and shared card.
6. **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.** The queue is a table with four tabs: **Received**, **My Drafts**, **Returned by Judge**, and **Processed**. Stat cards at the top jump to each view.
2. **Pick up your first filing.** Click any row in the Received tab to open it. The system assigns the filing to you.
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 (the filer's card is charged, stamps are applied, and the filing is recorded) or **Reject** to send it back to the filer with a reason and notes.
5. **Learn the keyboard shortcuts.** Alt + A to accept, Alt + R to reject, Alt + N to move 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 tab, 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. Settings covers **Staff**, **Announcements**, **Reports**, **Notifications**, and **Court** (court-wide preferences).

1. **Add your staff.** Go to **Settings > Staff** and click **Invite Staff Member** to invite clerks, judges, judicial staff, and other court admins by email. Invites expire in 7 days. After a judicial staff member accepts, edit their account to link them to their judge(s).
2. **Set each person's docket.** In the staff list, edit each member and set their **Docket** (Civil, Criminal, or Both) and -- for clerks -- a **Stamp title** (e.g., Deputy Clerk).
3. **Set your stamp default.** Under **Settings > Court**, choose whether the court stamp defaults to the first page only or every page. Clerks can still override per filing.
4. **Pick your email notifications.** Under **Settings > Notifications**, choose which events are emailed to you (new filings, payment events, returns from the judge).
5. **Check reference data.** Case types, filing types, and fees sync from your case management system -- review them with a platform administrator if anything looks off.

{% hint style="info" %}
**📹 GIF:** A court admin opening Settings, inviting a staff member, editing their docket, and adjusting the court's stamp behavior.
{% 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 staff and filers.** Court staff live under each parish (**Parishes > {parish} > Users**); filers and firms live under **Organizations**. Verify roles, dockets, and organization memberships.
3. **Review reports.** Go to **Reports** to check filing volume, rejection reasons, queue depth, and clerk productivity across all courts.
4. **Review payment statements.** Each parish's **Statements** page shows the court's monthly settlement -- gross deposits, refunds, chargebacks, and net deposited.
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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