Your One Stop Shop For Litigation Support Solutions! (800) 687-5003
Your One Stop Shop For Litigation Support Solutions! (800) 687-5003
Every attorney or paralegal who has dealt with eFiling knows the frustration: you prepare a document, submit it through the electronic filing service provider (EFSP), and then receive a rejection notice. The filing deadline is approaching, and now you have to figure out what went wrong, fix it, and resubmit.
At Legal Document Server (LDS), we process thousands of eFiling submissions across California courts every month. Based on our experience, the same handful of errors account for the vast majority of rejections. Here are the top five reasons eFiling submissions get rejected and what you can do to prevent them.
The most common reason for eFiling rejection is a mismatch between the case information entered during submission and the court’s records. This includes errors in case numbers, party names, or case types.
Courts require exact matches. If the plaintiff’s name in your filing reads “Johnson & Associates LLC” but the court’s system has “Johnson and Associates, LLC,” your filing may be rejected. Similarly, transposing digits in a case number or selecting the wrong case category will trigger an automatic rejection.
How to avoid it: Before submitting, verify your case number and party names against the court’s online case portal. Copy and paste case numbers rather than typing them manually. When initiating a new case, double-check that you have selected the correct case type and filing code for your document.
California courts have specific formatting requirements for electronically filed documents, and many rejections stem from documents that do not meet these standards. Common formatting issues include incorrect page size, improper margins, missing page numbers, documents that are not text-searchable, or files that exceed the court’s size limits.
Most California courts require documents to be filed as PDF/A format with optical character recognition (OCR) applied so the text is searchable. Scanned documents submitted as image-only PDFs are frequently rejected. Individual file size limits typically range from 25 MB to 35 MB depending on the court, and exceeding these limits will result in rejection.
How to avoid it: Use PDF/A format and run OCR on any scanned documents before submission. Check your court’s local rules for specific formatting requirements, including page size, margins, and file size limits. If a document exceeds the size limit, split it into multiple volumes and label them accordingly.
Filing fee errors are another frequent cause of rejection. This can happen when the wrong fee amount is submitted, when a fee waiver application is missing or incomplete, or when a payment method fails to process.
Fee schedules vary by document type and case category, and they change periodically. Filing a motion with the fee designated for a memorandum, or submitting a first appearance fee when one has already been paid, will result in rejection. Fee waiver applications that lack required documentation or that have not yet been approved by the court also cause problems.
How to avoid it: Consult the court’s current fee schedule before each submission rather than relying on memory or outdated references. If you are filing under a fee waiver, confirm that the waiver has been granted and is on file with the court before submitting additional documents. Keep payment information current in your EFSP account to avoid processing failures.
Selecting the wrong court location or department is a surprisingly common error, especially in large counties with multiple courthouses. Los Angeles County, for example, has numerous district locations, and filing a family law document at a civil courthouse — or vice versa — will result in rejection.
This issue also arises when cases have been transferred between departments or locations. If a case was reassigned and you file to the original department, the submission will be rejected because that department no longer handles the matter.
How to avoid it: Verify the correct filing location and department before every submission, particularly in multi-courthouse counties. Check the court’s online case management system for the most current department assignment. When in doubt, call the clerk’s office to confirm where your filing should be directed.
Each eFiling submission requires you to select a filing code that tells the court what type of document you are submitting. Selecting the wrong filing code — such as labeling a reply brief as a motion — will typically result in rejection. Courts rely on these codes for docketing and routing, so accuracy matters.
Similarly, vague or missing document descriptions can cause problems. A description that simply says “Document” or “Filing” does not give the clerk enough information to process the submission. Some courts also require specific naming conventions for uploaded files.
How to avoid it: Take time to select the most accurate filing code from the dropdown menu. Use descriptive, specific document descriptions such as “Defendant’s Reply to Plaintiff’s Opposition to Motion for Summary Judgment” rather than generic labels. Review your court’s eFiling guidelines for any specific naming or description requirements.
If your filing is rejected, act quickly. Review the rejection notice carefully — it should specify the reason for rejection. Most courts allow resubmission, and California Rule of Court 2.259 provides that a document rejected for a correctable error may be resubmitted with the original filing date if corrected and resubmitted within a specific timeframe.
However, not all courts interpret this rule the same way, and relying on the relation-back provision is risky when deadlines are at stake. The better approach is to get it right the first time.
At LDS, our team reviews every filing before submission to catch the errors that lead to rejection. We verify case information against court records, ensure documents meet formatting requirements, confirm correct filing fees, and select accurate filing codes and descriptions. Our familiarity with local court rules across California means we know each court’s specific requirements and preferences.
The result is a significantly lower rejection rate compared to self-service eFiling. When you work with LDS, you spend less time troubleshooting rejected filings and more time practicing law.
Tired of dealing with eFiling rejections? Contact Legal Document Server today to learn how our eFiling services can save your firm time and reduce filing errors.
