> 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/reference/glossary.md). # Glossary Key terms used throughout Cott E-Filing. *** | Term | Definition | | ----------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Accounting Access** | A per-member switch (set by an org admin or platform administrator) that unlocks the Reports page -- organization-wide filings, fees, and revenue -- and firm-wide visibility on the Payments and Statements pages. | | **Advance Deposit** | Money placed on a case's ledger with the court. A new case's first filing charges one automatically (the larger of the filing type's base fee and the estimated docket fees); filers can also add an **Additional Advance Deposit** with any filing or top up an existing case with **Add Funds**. | | **Bar Roll Number** | A unique identifier assigned to an attorney by the state bar. Required during account registration for attorneys and used to link filings and cases to the correct attorney record. Each bar roll number can be registered only once. | | **Case Type** | A classification for the kind of case being filed (e.g., Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate). Each court configures its own set of case types, and the available document types and fees depend on the case type you select. | | **Chargeback** | A card dispute raised with the filer's bank. Chargebacks appear on court statements and are netted out of totals; if the dispute is reversed, the amount is restored. | | **Convenience Fee** | A processing fee of **3.05%** of the court amount plus the e-filing fee, charged on every paid filing and deposit top-up. | | **Court Stamp** | A digital stamp applied to accepted PDF documents by the system. Includes the court name, filing date, recording number, and clerk name. Replaces the physical ink stamp used in paper filing. | | **Cure Deadline** | The date by which a filer should correct and resubmit a rejected filing. Set by the clerk at the time of rejection and shown in the resubmit wizard. | | **Defer Court Costs** | A clerk option on existing civil cases that draws the court's costs from the deposit already held on the case instead of charging them to the filer's card. The e-filing and convenience fees still apply. | | **Deposit Ledger** | The running balance of money held on a case. Docket fees are deducted from it as filings are accepted; the Fees step shows the balance and the estimated remainder. | | **Docket Entry** | A record in the case management system documenting an event in a case. When a filing is accepted, the system creates docket entries for each accepted document using the appropriate event codes. | | **Document Type** | A classification for a specific document within a filing (e.g., Petition, Motion, Order, Exhibit). Each document type maps to a CMS event code that determines how it is recorded in the docket. | | **E-Filing Fee** | A flat **$6.00** platform fee charged on every paid filing. | | **Envelope** | The complete package of documents submitted together in a single filing. An envelope contains one or more documents; the first document is the lead. Each individual file may be up to 500 MB. | | **Escrow Deposit** | Money charged with a filing but held in the case's escrow account until the clerk releases it. Unlike an advance deposit, it does not pay down the case ledger. | | **E-Service** | Electronic service of documents on parties in a case. When a document is filed and accepted, opposing parties who have registered for electronic service receive a notification with access to the served document. | | **Fee Waiver** | A request to waive filing fees, reviewed by the clerk before acceptance. Reasons are Pauper (in forma pauperis) or Government Agency. If approved, nothing is charged; government filers and fee-exempt organizations are waived automatically. | | **Filing** | A submission of one or more documents to the court through the e-filing system. Each filing has a unique filing number (e.g., EF-EBR-2026-0042), a status, and belongs to a specific court and case. | | **Filing Queue** | The clerk's main work list, rendered as a sortable, searchable table. Tabs organize filings by stage -- Received, My Drafts, Returned by Judge, and Processed (All, Accepted, With Judge, Rejected, Payment Failed). Clicking a row opens the review page. | | **Judicial Staff** | Chambers staff linked to one or more judges. They see their judges' inboxes, mark up documents, place signature boxes, and release signed filings to the clerk -- but can never sign or deny. | | **Lead Document** | The primary document in a filing -- always the first document. It determines the main docket entry and is displayed first during clerk review. | | **Note to Filer** | An optional message the clerk writes during review. The filer sees it as a "Note from the Clerk" on the case page and in the acceptance or rejection email. Separate from internal Clerk Notes, which the filer never sees. | | **Organization (Firm)** | A law firm or agency on CottFile. Members share a team roster, an optional firm payment card, and (for members with access) organization-wide reports and statements. | | **Party** | A person or organization involved in a case (e.g., plaintiff, defendant). At least one party is required per filing. Parties are synced to the CMS party registry when a filing is accepted. | | **Payments Due** | The filer page listing accepted filings whose card charge failed. Paying from it sends each filing back to the clerk's queue for recording; the clerk's acceptance never charges twice. | | **Pro Se** | A person who represents themselves in court without an attorney. Pro se filers register with a system-generated PIN (e.g., PS-12345) instead of a bar number. | | **Routing Rule** | An automated rule that determines which queue a filing enters when submitted. Rules can be based on case type, document type, filer type, or fee status. When no rule matches, the system falls back to round-robin assignment. | | **Standalone Parish** | A parish that uses CottFile without a connected case management system. Its reference data is managed in the Admin Panel, case numbers come from the parish's own system (typed in by the clerk), and nothing is pushed to a CMS. | | **Verdict CMS** | The court's case management system. When a filing is accepted at a Verdict parish, the system records it in Verdict by creating or updating the case record, syncing parties, creating docket entries, and tracking financial records. | --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. 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