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All FAQs

Can I remove cases that I do not want my secondary email recipient(s) to receive NEF’s for?

Yes, access your email information located within Utilities/Maintain Your Account section. Click on either 'Add New Email Address' or select a secondary email address to modify. In the Configuration Options section select “no” on the question that reads “Should this e-mail address receive notice for all cases in which this individual is a participant?” Hold the CRTL key and click on the case(s) you want to remove from the noticing list, and then click 'Remove selected cases.' Once you are finished, click on ‘Return to Person Information Screen’ and then ‘Submit.’ On the following screen, click ‘Submit’ a second time.

How do I add my legal staff to receive NEF’s?

Please note that the Florida Southern District Court has transitioned to NextGen CM/ECF, and you are required to link your PACER and CM/ECF accounts. Ensure that your accounts are linked before proceeding with these instructions.

Here are the instructions for adding, updating, or removing a secondary email address in CM/ECF: To begin, go to (https://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/cmecf) and click on the CM/ECF Login link. Enter your NextGen CM/ECF login and password and acknowledge the redaction agreement before clicking Continue. Click on ‘Utilities’ and then select ‘Maintain Your Account.’ Click on the ‘Email Information’ button located at the bottom of the screen. Follow the instructions below if you would like to add, update, or remove a secondary email address.

To Add a Secondary Email Address:
- Click on ‘Add new email address.’
- Type the email address in the configuration options field.
- Choose any case-specific options.
- Click ‘Return to Person Information Screen’ and then click ‘Submit.’ You will need to click ‘Submit’ a second time on the following screen.

To Update a Secondary Email Address:
- Click on the email address you want to update.
- Type the new email address in the configuration options field.
- Choose any case-specific options.
- Click ‘Return to Person Information Screen’ and then click ‘Submit.’ You will need to click ‘Submit’ a second time on the following screen.

To Remove a Secondary Email Address:
- Click on the email address you want to remove.
- Delete the email address in the box under configuration options on the right side of the screen.
- Click ‘Return to Person Information Screen’ and then click ‘Submit.’ You will need to click ‘Submit’ a second time on the following screen.

If you require further assistance, please contact the CM/ECF Helpdesk at 1-888-318-2260. The Help Desk is available from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal Holidays.

How do I change my address with the Court?

To update your contact information or address, you must first file a Notice of Change of Address, Email or Law Firm Name in all OPEN CASES pursuant to Local Rule 11.1(g). If an attorney is no longer representing a party or has not been terminated from a case, the attorney must file the necessary document in the case according to Local Rule 11.1(d)(3). After filing the Notice, log in to your PACER account at Pacer.gov (link is external), click on "Manage My Account" at the top of the screen, select the "Maintenance" tab, click "Update Address Information," enter the reason for the update, and apply the update to either all cases, closed cases, open cases, or none.

Please note that choosing the "All Cases" option may alter your previous firm or agency information for open, closed, and terminated cases, especially if you're switching law firms or agencies. We recommend that you DO NOT select the option to apply updates to ALL CASES if you've previously represented a party in a case or if your representation has been terminated. By selecting "All Cases," the information regarding your previous firm or agency will be updated in those cases, potentially giving the impression that your new firm represented your former clients.

Finally, apply updates to selected courts by selecting the appropriate PACER billing court(s) and clicking "Submit."
If you require further assistance, please contact the CM/ECF Helpdesk at 1-888-318-2260. The Help Desk is available from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal Holidays.

How do I change my CM/ECF password?

Please note that the Florida Southern District Court has transitioned to NextGen CM/ECF. The primary purpose of your original/legacy CM/ECF login credentials is to link your CM/ECF and PACER accounts. If you need assistance with retrieving and resetting your original/legacy CM/ECF login and password for account linking, please call the CM/ECF Help Desk. They provide telephone support to CM/ECF users from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays, at 1-888-318-2260.
If your account is already linked and you need to reset your PACER password (NextGen), this must be done through PACER. For questions or assistance, please contact the PACER Service Center at (800) 676-6856, available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

How do I get listed as counsel of record on a case so I can receive emails?

If the attorney wishes to participate on a case, receive emails and be listed on the docket, simply filing the initial pleading to open the case will ensure that the attorney is added to the case and will receive emails from that point forward. A second way to add counsel on a case is to file a Notice of Appearance within CM/ECF if the attorney is not listed on the case or if the attorney is appointed after the case has already been active. A third way is to log in to CM/ECF with the attorney’s User Name and Password and file an answer or a motion. The attorney will be prompted within CM/ECF to make the association between the party and the attorney during the filing process. Correctly making this association will ensure that the attorney is listed properly on the docket as counsel of record for that party. This will then ensure that the attorney will receive emails on the case.

How do I remove or substitute an attorney on a given case?

A document explaining who is being removed or substituted and why must be created and converted into a PDF format. Since all changes in representation must be approved by the Court, a Motion to Withdraw as Attorney or Motion to Substitute Attorney needs to be submitted. Once you log in to CM/ECF, you can select the appropriate event under ‘Motions and Related Filings.' When the Clerk’s Office sees that this motion has been approved by the Court, they will remove the attorney from the case. Until this is completed, the Court will still consider the attorney as a participant in the case and the system will continue to send him/her the notifications.

How do I update my personal information within the CM/ECF system?

To update your personal/contact information, you must first file a Notice of Change of Address, Email or Law Firm Name in all OPEN CASES pursuant to Local Rule 11.1(g). If an attorney is no longer representing a party or has not been terminated from a case, the attorney must file the necessary document in the case according to Local Rule 11.1(d)(3). After filing the Notice, log in to your PACER account at Pacer.gov (link is external), click on "Manage My Account" at the top of the screen, select the "Maintenance" tab, click "Update Address Information," enter the reason for the update, and apply the update to either all cases, closed cases, open cases, or none.

Please note that choosing the "All Cases" option may alter your previous firm or agency information for open, closed, and terminated cases, especially if you're switching law firms or agencies. We recommend that you DO NOT select the option to apply updates to ALL CASES if you've previously represented a party in a case or if your representation has been terminated. By selecting "All Cases," the information regarding your previous firm or agency will be updated in those cases, potentially giving the impression that your new firm represented your former clients.

Finally, apply updates to selected courts by selecting the appropriate PACER billing court(s) and click "Submit."

If you require further assistance, please contact the CM/ECF Helpdesk at 1-888-318-2260. The Help Desk is available from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal Holidays.

What if I don’t want to be listed as counsel of record but I would like to receive emails for a particular case?

If the attorney is not officially listed on the docket but wants to receive emails about the case, they can be designated as an “interest.” To do this, log in to CM/ECF by clicking here: https://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/cmecf and click on the ‘Utilities’ feature in the menu bar.

Next, select the link “Maintain Your Account” and then click on the “Email Information” button. On the following screen, click on the primary email address to reveal the configuration options. Enter the case number for which you want to receive notifications (NEFs) in the appropriate field under “Case-specific options” – “Add additional cases for noticing.” After entering the case number, click the “Find This Case” button. When the case list appears, select the case, and click the “Add case(s)” button.

To confirm that the case has been added, look for a display box underneath “These cases will send notice per filing.” This box will list the case numbers linked to the primary email designated for receiving email notifications. You may need to scroll through the list to find the case number you just added. Once you locate it, you should see “(interest)” at the end of the case information, which will confirm that the process was completed correctly.

When you have finished updating your account, click on “Return to Person Information Screen.” Click on “Submit,” then ‘‘Submit” on the following page.

Please note that the one free look (one free copy) does not apply to any cases in which you are added as an “interest.”

If you require further assistance, please contact the CM/ECF Helpdesk at 1-888-318-2260. The Help Desk is available from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal Holidays.

What if I forgot my password?

If you have forgotten your password, please reach out to the CM/ECF Helpdesk at 1-888-318-2260 for assistance. The Help Desk is available from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal Holidays. They can help you by resending your Username and Password.

Please be note that the Florida Southern District Court has transitioned to NextGen CM/ECF, which requires you to link your PACER and CM/ECF accounts. You must complete this linking process after receiving your CM/ECF login and password to access your account.

What should be done when an attorney leaves the firm?

When an attorney leaves the firm, both the attorney and the firm need to consider the implications to the CM/ECF noticing system. For those cases that will remain with the attorney, the attorney needs to electronically file a Notice of Change of Address in all pending cases they have with the Court and update their contact information through their PACER account. Please see Updating Your Information under Attorney Resources.

For those cases that will remain with the firm, the firm needs to electronically file a Notice of Substitution of Counsel or a Notice of Change of Counsel to ensure that the Court docket accurately reflects the proper attorney of record so that the new attorney of record will receive email notifications.

Whose responsibility is it to keep an attorney’s contact information current?

Pursuant to Local Rule 11.1(g), it is the attorney’s responsibility to keep their contact information current. Email information, including email information for additional recipients on the account, needs to be kept up-to-date in order for the CM/ECF system, which relies on email notifications, to function effectively. Local Rule 11.1(g) requires all attorneys to update their contact information including email address within seven (7) days of a change. The failure to comply shall not constitute grounds for relief from deadlines imposed by Rule or by the Court. All Court Orders and Notices will be deemed to be appropriately served if directed either electronically or by conventional mail consistent with information on file with the Clerk of Court.