Rule 4 - Electronic Filing Procedures(a)E-filing Through the Provider. E-filing shall be through the Provider's e-filing system only. The Provider shall receive electronic filings 24 hours per day except when undergoing maintenance or repair.(b)Receipt of Provider Notifications. Whenever a User submits a document to the court through the e-filing system, a Provider Notification will automatically generate and transmit to the User, acknowledging the submission. Provider notifications shall also be sent at the time the court accepts or rejects any submitted document. (c)Date of Filing Shall Be Determined By Court Hours. A document will be considered filed if it is submitted through the e-filing system before the close of regular business hours on the day it is submitted unless it is rejected by the court. See Rule 4(d). A document submitted after 4:30 p.m. or on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday shall be considered filed the next business day, unless it is rejected by the court. (d)Clerk's Review of Electronically Filed Documents. Prior to entry upon the docket, the Clerk shall review each document submitted through the e-filing system for compliance with the E-filing Rules, Pilot Scope, and the Massachusetts Court Rules and Orders. Upon the court's acceptance, the document shall be considered "filed" with the court at the time the original submission to the e-filing system was complete, as stated on the Provider Notification transmitted pursuant to Rule 4(b), subject to Rule 4(c), and a Provider Notification of the acceptance will be transmitted. If a filing is rejected, the filing User will receive notice from the Provider which shall note the rejection and the court's reason(s) therefore. (e)Correction of Errors. Upon the discovery of any error made during the e-filing process, the User may cancel the transaction if the cancel option is available in the e-filing system. The cancel option is not available once the court begins the review process. After this period, the User should abide by the Massachusetts Court Rules and Orders for correcting filings containing errors.(f)Electronically Filed Documents Shall Be Conventionally Titled. All documents filed electronically shall be titled in the same manner they are titled when filed conventionally. (g)Exchange of Discovery and Other Materials. The e-filing system may be used for the electronic exchange of discovery materials and other communications between the parties that are not intended to be filed with the court. Use of the e-filing system for these purposes should be decided by the parties.Mass. Int. R. Elec. Fil'g 4
Added February 25, 2015, effective 3/1/2015.