eCourts Appellate

Most documents can be eFiled, either through upload (must be in .pdf format with OCR and no larger than 28MB) or system generated (i.e., Notices of Appeal, Case Information Statements, Notices of Motion and Transcript Request forms). There are a few exceptions. Video and media files must be mailed, and a letter uploaded to eCourts Appellate indicating the significance of the documents mailed. Sealed documents for the court's viewing only cannot be eFiled and must be submitted in paper form.

No, at this time self-represented litigants will still need to file all documents by mail or email.

eCourts Appellate allows you to mark the electronic document as “Amended” by checking the Amended Document box on the Add Document page. This feature will alert the Clerk’s Office that a correction has been submitted to the previous document.

Only attorneys listed as counsel for the parties can view all documents within the case via eCourts Appellate. 

Emails from the Clerk's Office are sent to the email address(es) entered in eCourts Appellate. Note: all eCourts filing applications use the same email addresses. You should check the settings of your email account and/or special software you may be using to protect your account from spam (e.g., anti-virus software) so that your computer does not identify email from the Clerk's Office as "junk" or "spam" mail.

If your computer’s Internet and email accounts are functioning properly, please contact the Appellate eFiling team at  609-815-2950 ext. 52590 or  appellateT7.mailbox@njcourts.gov

The Clerk's office will review your documents to determine if they comply with the court rules. You will receive a notification outlining any deficiency.

No. Documents filed by any party or the court in a criminal P2E case will not appear in the eCourts (trial) case jacket.

Yes. eCourts Appellate will automatically serve your adversary electronically, if they are an attorney and have a valid eCourts email on file. Any self-represented litigants involved in the case must be served by paper. eCourts Appellate also serves the trial court judges, division managers, and state agency when applicable.

When a filer is required to serve parties not participating in a case, a proof of service must be uploaded indicating that the non-participating party was served. This upload would be required in the following examples: a motion to be relieved as counsel, where the client isn’t in the eCourts Appellate appeal, a motion to release co-defendant’s pre-sentence reports, or where the trial counsel for the other defendant must be served.

Yes. Except in the case of a substitution of attorney outside of your firm as that will have to be accepted by the Clerk's office before you will have access to the electronic file.

If you are filing a joint appeal, you will add the additional party and their attorney. Once the case is accepted a notice will be sent to the parties. The joint appellant will need to upload a letter of acceptance indicating that they agree to file a joint brief.

The New Jersey Judiciary uses a single sign on process for most of its applications. For attorneys, this is their Attorney Bar ID and password. This is the same login information used to complete the Annual Registration.

The Judiciary does regular scans on its electronic systems to ensure security of the information stored therein. Additionally, access to the single sign on portal requires two factor authentication.

Normally the submission will be reviewed within a few days however that review is based upon the date and time of submission.

Yes. The filed stamped documents stored on the system are the court record.

Each document submitted should not exceed 28 MB.

No. Documents submitted through eCourts Appellate are deemed to be original.

The filing date will be the date the documents were received by the Clerk's Office.

In eCourts Appellate a substitution of attorney can be filed by either the withdrawing attorney OR the substituting attorney. If the substitution is within the same firm, supporting documentation does not have to be uploaded.

Filed by withdrawing attorney

1. From My Case List click the Edit button next to the case being substituted.
2. Select the "Substitution of Attorney" option from the Edit Case popup.
3. On the Update Party page, search for the new attorney.
4. Upload supporting documentation on the Documents page. Reminder: Supporting documentation is not required if the substitution is within the same firm.
5. The change will be effective after the substitution has been accepted by the Clerk's office, at which time designation of counsel can be filed if your case requires same. If the substitution is within the same firm, the change will be effective immediately after it has been submitted in eCourts Appellate.

Filed by substituting attorney

1. Select Case Lookup from the menu on the right.
2. Search for the case.
3. Check the box next to docket number listed and select the Substitution of Attorney option on the edit case popup.
4. On the List of Parties page click the Edit button of the party you are modifying.
5. The information of the attorney to be substituted will appear.
6. Upload supporting documentation on the List of Documents page if required. Supporting documentation is not required if the substitution is within the same firm.
7. The change will be effective after the substitution has been accepted by the Clerk's office, at which time designation of counsel can be filed if your case requires same. If the substitution is within the same firm, the change will be effective immediately after it has been submitted in eCourts Appellate.

There is no registration process to gain access to eCourts Appellate. All NJ Attorneys in good standing automatically have access.

On-Site Access is available in the courthouses at designated locations. Check with the Courthouse Ombudsman. Access to confidential, sealed, or restricted documents maintained in the case management system are not viewable.

You will receive a notification when your document has been accepted for filing. You will also be able to print the “Filed” copy from the Docket Information list accessible via the appellate docket number hyperlink on My Case List.

Yes. eCourts Appellate saves your information each time you click the Continue/Save button. When returning to your case list and editing the draft, you will return to the last section you worked. Draft filings are saved for 180 days.

Most often you will receive an error message explaining why you cannot file your document over the internet. If instructions are provided, follow them. If it does not correct the problem, please contact the Appellate eCourts team at  609-815-2950 ext. 52590 or  appellateT7.mailbox@njcourts.gov

S/attorney name or original signature on an uploaded document is acceptable.

No. Paper cases received prior to 02/01/2021 will not be available in eCourts Appellate. Filings for these paper cases should continue to be submitted in paper.

1. From My Case List click the Edit button next to the appropriate case.
2. Select "I am adding/editing attorneys, designated or co-counsel information in the current case" option from the Edit Case popup.
3. On the Update Party page, click the + sign, search for attorney and select attorney role.
4. Upload supporting documentation on the List of Documents page if required. Supporting documentation is not required if the substitution is within the same firm.
5. Submit filing. The change will be effective after it has been accepted by the Clerk's office. If the added counsel is within the same firm, the change will be effective immediately after it has been submitted in eCourts Appellate.

Refer to the instructions on the login screen. If additional assistance is required, contact the Judiciary Help Desk at  609-421-6100 .

For technical assistance with the eCourts Appellate system, contact the eCourts Appellate team at  609-815-2950 ext. 52590 or  appellateT7.mailbox@njcourts.gov . 

Informally, you can produce the email from eCourts Appellate which will state the name of the documents that were filed and the date and time of the filing. You may also download the filed-stamped copy of the endorsement page through eCourts Appellate or purchase a copy from the Clerk’s Office.

Electronic versions of documents are filed within the same deadlines as paper documents.

Filing Dates:
Follow the NJ Court Rules and any scheduling order that is entered. Filing a document electronically does not alter or extend any filing deadline.

Filing Times:
A document that is received electronically, it is considered to have been filed on the same day it is received unless it is filed after 11:59pm, then that document will be filed the following business day. Note: If paying the filing fee by credit card, the credit card payment service is unavailable from 11:30 pm until midnight daily. All filings must be submitted prior to 11:30 pm to receive the same date of filing.

There are numerous tools available for converting your documents into text-searchable PDF. You may want to discuss with your Information Technology (IT) department.

No. Case initiating documents like the Notice of Appeal and Case Information Statement only need to be electronically filed. Transcripts and briefs will require the submission of three additional copies for the panel reviewing the case; you will be advised by your case manager when to submit paper copies.

Yes. Cases in which both the appellant and respondent are self-represented litigants will be converted into P2E cases. If one of the parties retains counsel after a P2E case has been created, the attorney would file a substitution of attorney within the case in eCourts Appellate. See FAQ How do I file a substitution of attorney for instructions.

If you need to order transcripts after the case initiating documents have been filed or submit an amended transcript request form:

1. From My Case List click the Edit button and select "I am adding Documents" option from the Edit Case popup.
2. On the List of Documents page, click Add Document button. From the Category drop down menu select Appellate Documents. From Document Type drop down menu select Transcript Order Form. IF you are filing an amended Transcript Request, check the Amended Document box.
3. Complete Transcript Request Form Verification page and submit your filing.

Firm/office information is updated through the Attorney Registration and Payment section on the New Jersey Courts – Portal Home Page.  To update your email address(s) for court notifications, after logging in to eCourts Appellate, select Update Email from the menu on the left of the Welcome page.

There are numerous tools available for converting your documents into text-searchable PDF.

• If you have created the word document, you can convert it very easily as OCR-PDF by saving it as “Save as type = PDF (*.pdf).
• If you are scanning your document to generate the PDF, refer to your scanner's user manual or contact the manufacturer to see if your scanner is equipped with the OCR functionality. If you are not familiar with OCR, please consult your local IT support department to verify the OCR settings for your scanner’s properties.
• You can research downloadable OCR software on the internet or use Adobe to convert the document or visit an office supply store to see if they provide the service that can assist you.

Once a document has been submitted it becomes a part of the record. A motion is required to remove a document once it is electronically received.  Filers should contact their case manager.

See the Fees section on the eCourts Appellate webpage.

PDF documents are "read only" documents that cannot be easily altered.

If a filing is still appearing in draft status, it is because you did not click continue all the way to the submission page. Your document is not considered submitted until you receive the transaction ID number.

Transcripts that are ordered for appeal purposes, are filed through the Clerk’s office. The transcripts will be upload to the eCourts Appellate system after being filed. The case manager will notify when to submit 3 filed stamped copies.

Transcripts in the attorney’s possession are uploaded by the attorney of record.

1. From My Case List click the Edit button next to the appropriate case.
2. Select “I am adding Documents” option from the Edit Case popup.
3. On the List of Documents page click Add Document button.
4. From the Category drop down menu select Transcript.
5. From the Document Type drop down menu select the applicable transcript type.
6. Complete the required fields, upload a copy of the transcript, and submit your filing.

Manuals with filing instructions are available on the eCourts Appellate webpage and on the Welcome page once you are logged in to eCourts Appellate.

The P2E feature allows the Appellate Division to create an electronic version of cases filed by self-represented litigants that are currently required to submit documents in paper. For cases received on or after 02/01/2021, an electronic version will be created and accessible from My Case List. These case types will be denoted by the (p2e) symbol appearing after the case title on My Case List. After the electronic version is created, a system generated email notification will be sent to all counsel entered at case initiation.

The document will be filed as of the date it was received if it is submitted prior to 11:59 pm.

When applicable, filing fees must be paid online to submit your filing.  Fees can be paid by either a JACS (Judiciary Account Charge System) account or by credit card (Visa, Master Card, AMEX, or Discover). Services fees are applied to credit card payments. Note: The credit card payment service is unavailable from 11:30 pm until midnight daily. All filings must be submitted prior to 11:30 pm to receive the same date of filing.

Check with your Information Technology (IT) department. 

If your document is accepted by the Clerk’s Office, it will be filed as of the date it was received.

Contact the case manager, the document may be pending review and has not been uploaded into the case.

Yes. Please refer to the rule relaxations on the Judiciary website under Notices to the Bar.

1. From My Case List click the Edit button next to the appropriate case.
2. Select “I am adding Documents” option from the Edit Case popup.
3. On the List of Documents page click Add Document button.
4. From the Category drop down menu select Brief.
5. From the Document Type drop down menu select the applicable document type. If filing an Appendix, the filer is required to enter the volume number.
6. Upload the document and submit your filing.