CM/ECF Release 4.2
The United States Bankruptcy Court - District of New Hampshire upgraded to CM/ECF Release 4.2 effective Monday, November 21, 2011. The upgrade includes several new features and functional enhancements. To assist our users in learning about Release 4.2 we have prepared these web pages with information and highlights. Please note, while we refer to this as Release 4.2, the upgrade combines both Release 4.1 and 4.2 enhancements.
This is a list of the enhancements and new features in Release 4.2:
- Password Security Enhancements
- Public Access to Documents Filed Prior to December 1, 2003
- Internet Browsers
- Reports and Queries
- Adversary Proceedings
- Filing Fees
- BNC Certificate of Notice
- Email Notification Options
- Other User Enhancements
- Claims
- County Codes
- Trustee 341 Filings
- Sealed and Restricted Functionality
- Filing Agents
User Specific Resources:
Summary of Changes to CM/ECF Bankruptcy Release 4.2 for Attorneys, Trustees, and Creditors
Pacer User Notes for Bankruptcy Release 4.2
Pacer User Notes for Bankruptcy Release 4.1
On-line Demonstrations (ELMs):
CM/ECF Release 4.2 Electronic Learning Modules (ELMs)
Electronic filers are reminded they can view release 4.2 in our ECF-TRAIN system. Filers were issued a login to our ECF-TRAIN system along with their login to the LIVE system. To obtain a login to our ECF-TRAIN system or if you have a question or concern about the upgrade, please contact the Court at (603) 222-2600.
If you have questions regarding CM/ECF, please contact the CM/ECF Helpdesk at: 1-866-252-6323.
Password Security Enhancements ~ [return to Top]
- Every user will be required to change their password to comply with the new Password Security Enhancements. All CM/ECF passwords must be a minimum of 8 characters, and must include both upper and lower case alphabetic characters and at least one digit or special character (e.g., 0-9, @, #, $, %, &, *, +, :). After five invalid login attempts, the account is locked out for five minutes. After the timeout period, if an invalid password is again given for the account, a new timeout period (one minute longer than the previous) will be started. Every additional invalid password entered after a timeout will increase the duration of the next timeout by one minute.
Public Access to Documents Filed Prior to December 1, 2003 ~ [return to Top]
- The Judicial Conference Privacy Policy has been amended to restrict public access through PACER and CM/ECF to all documents in bankruptcy cases that were filed before December 1, 2003, and have been closed for more than one year. Documents in these closed cases are available in PACER only to court users, case participants and attorneys for the case parties. The case docket and docket information will remain available to the general public via PACER. Copies of restricted documents, except those under seal, are available at the Clerk's office and may be printed from the public terminal. Contact the Clerk's office for information about obtaining copies of these documents via U.S. mail. Email copies will not be sent. The existing fee schedules are applicable to these documents. These changes were put into place with the installation of CM/ECF Release 4.1/4.2.
Internet Browsers ~ [return to Top]
- Release 4.2 works correctly with Firefox 3.5 and Internet Explorer 7 and 8. Mozilla Firefox 2 and Internet Explorer 6 are no longer supported.
Reports and Queries ~ [return to Top]
Cases Report
- An option to filter the report by attorney name appears on the selection screen. Note: Users should search by last and/or first name of attorneys since the Bar ID numbers are not required when setting up user accounts; therefore, searching by Bar ID's only may not reveal any results.
- When a name is entered, a list of matching attorney names is displayed, of which you may select one or more. Check boxes allow you to search for attorneys by party role: debtors, plaintiffs, defendants, creditors, or all. Alternatively, you can also choose to view only pro se filed cases.
- The report is now limited to a range of thirty-one days. If the user tries to conduct a search greater than thirty-one days a message appears stating "The data range you have entered exceeds the 31-day limit."
Docket Report
- Previously, each party’s alias was printed on two lines on the Docket Report; alias type on the first line, and the name on the second line. The alias type and alias name are now listed on the same line.
- The "Include headers..." check box now defaults to checked.
- The county of residence is now displayed along with the address information on the docket report for debtors and joint debtors.
- All attorney email addresses displayed on the Docket Report are now hyper links that can be clicked on and the user’s default email program will open.
- The "Show Associated Cases" hyperlink only appears on the Docket Report output screen when the case being viewed has an active association.
Calendar Events Report
- This report has been enhanced to provide easier access to related proceedings. Rather than displaying the silver ball icon, now a plus icon is displayed beside each event. Clicking on this icon will display the related events. There is also a direct link to "docket entries only" and to the claims register.
Docket Activity Report
- The “Only cases to which I am linked” check box is now displayed for trustees and US Trustees as well as attorneys.
- This report is now limited to a range of thirty-one days. This prevents internet users from unintentionally requesting a large data set, which would result in an unnecessarily large PACER fee.
Query
- Additional information is now displayed when searching for a name under the "Query" option to allow a user to select the correct case.
- For each name result, a row of information is displayed to the screen for each case in which that person is involved.
- A "View Document" link allows users to enter a document number in the case currently being viewed to view this document directly.
- A warning message has been added to the Query screen, indicating that there is no 30-page PACER billing cap on the results page as follows: "Warning: you will be billed for the total number of pages (this report is not subject to the 30-page limit on PACER charges)."
- After running a query and clicking on the "Associated Cases" screen, a new "Other Filings by Same Debtor(s)" section has been added. This will display all cases that share a debtor or joint debtor with the case currently being viewed.
Adversary Proceedings ~ [return to Top]
- Opening an adversary proceeding - the attorney filer is now automatically added as attorney for plaintiff. The plaintiffs attorney will not be able to add an attorney for the defendant. When filing an Notice of Removal you will be prompted to select "Attorney for Plaintiff" or "Attorney for Defendant". If you have any questions while opening an adversary, please call our helpdesk.
Filing Fees ~ [return to Top]
- In previous releases, there was no way to track the balance due when a filing fee was paid in installments. Now, for pending cases opened after the upgrade to 4.2, the outstanding filing fee balance is tracked in CM/ECF.
- A new "Filing Fee" selection is available from the main Query output screen. For bankruptcy cases, this option displays a screen listing the filing fee amount, details on any payments that have been made, and the outstanding balance due.
- For adversary (ap) and miscellaneous proceeding (mp), the user will be shown the case opening fee and the balance due (if the filing fee was deferred).
Internet Payments Due
- Previously, when an internet payment was made, all the fees that were incurred up to the time of payment had to be paid at once. Now, you may choose to pay some or all of the fees in a given transaction.
- On the “Internet Payments Due” screen, all outstanding fees are displayed, along with a check box for each fee. To select the fees to pay, the user should check the boxes next to the desired fees, then click the Next button.
- NOTE: Filing fees are due the same day of filing. If the fee(s) are not paid by 12:00 midnight the day of filing, attorneys will be locked out of filing in ECF until the fees are paid.
- NOTE: To avoid problems with pop-up blockers among various browsers, the pop-up window previously generated by a pay.gov transaction is now displayed as a panel. This panel appears as a part of the original application window, so it is not necessary to turn off pop-up blockers.
BNC Certificate of Notice ~ [return to Top]
- The Bankruptcy Noticing Center (BNC) Certificate of Notice will now reflect those recipients who receive a 'Notice of Electronic Filing' (NEF) through the CM/ECF system, along with those entities who receive the notice from the BNC.
Email Notification Options ~ [return to Top]
- You now have the option through “Maintain Your ECF Account” to choose whether you want notification of bankruptcy matters when your appearance is only entered in the Adversary Proceeding.
- The Bankruptcy Noticing Center (BNC) Certificate of Notice will now reflect those recipients who receive a 'Notice of Electronic Filing' (NEF) through the CM/ECF system, in addition to mailing entities who receive the notice from the BNC.
- For Debtor's Attorneys Only: The BNC file will now contain the an email address (of the debtor’s attorney, or of the debtor if pro se), so the BNC may email the bypass list.
- For Debtor's Attorneys Only: Currently, the debtor’s attorney receives the 341 notice by notice of electronic filing (NEF) with the debtor’s redacted Social Security number (SSN) and by U.S. Mail through the BNC with the debtor’s full SSN. Once 4.2 has been implemented, the 341 notice will allow the BNC to send the debtor’s attorney an email containing a secure hyperlink to the unredacted 341 notice in place of a paper notice. The BNC will send one summary email per day containing hyperlinks to one or more notices. Each hyperlink provides one free look to the full notice. The debtor’s attorney will no longer receive the paper 341 notice from the BNC.
Other User Enhancements ~ [return to Top]
Time Selection Icon
- On screens allowing a time clock selection, the time field now includes an icon to populate the time from a graphic clock.
- When clicked, the cursor can be moved around the clock face to select a time. The time selection is displayed in the box. The lighter shading of the clock is for an "AM" time and the darker shading of the clock is for a "PM" setting. Also, the time can be entered in the box manually without clicking on the clock icon if preferred.
Miscellaneous
- The keyboard can now be used instead of using the mouse. Pressing the [Enter] key gives the same result as clicking the [Submit] button. Pressing the space bar also works if the focus is on the button that submits the screen.
- For data security, it is important to exit the browser after logging out of the application. To encourage this, a message is now displayed upon log out to remind users to exit the browser.
- A user can decide not to receive NEFs in a related adversary and 'limited filers' have the option to receive NEFs.
Claims ~ [return to Top]
- Filing a Proof of Claim. The proof of claim entry screen text and formatting have been modified to match the B10 form. Additionally, the amount claimed total is no longer calculated. Instead, the amount claimed field constitutes the total of the various amounts claimed; the user enters the totals in these fields and no additional total is calculated. There is no longer a box for unsecured claims.
County Codes ~ [return to Top]
- All U.S. counties are available for selection in any court.
- The county code has been changed to include the two-letter state abbreviation (for example, Hillsborough-NH)
- On docketing screens where party information is entered, the county list automatically displays all counties in the state where the court is located. If a party’s county is outside the state, enter the correct state in the “State” field; this will update the county selection list to display all counties for the state.
Trustee 341 Filings ~ [return to Top]
- New Trustee's 341 Filings for Chapter 13 and Improved Trustee's 341 Filings for Chapter 7 -- This program allows you to process your completed 341 meeting settings in an efficient and timely manner.
Sealed and Restricted Functionality ~ [return to Top]
- This feature will be available at a later date.
Filing Agents ~ [return to Top]
- This feature will be available at a later date.