Rule 13.1 - Electronic Filing and Service(A) Electronic filing requiredIn accordance with App.R. 13, any document to be filed in an appeal or original proceeding before the First District Court of Appeals shall be filed with the clerk electronically, except as otherwise provided in this rule and in Loc.R. 3.1. Such filing shall be in a digitized format specified by the clerk of courts' electronic filing procedure, and this Court's local rules and administrative order(s) regarding electronic filing. The clerk of courts is directed to accept any paper filing that is presented. However, the Court may strike such filing and require that it be e-filed if it is found to be in contravention of this rule.
(1)Format of e-filed documents. All e-filed documents shall be formatted in accordance with the applicable appellate and local rules governing formatting of paper filings, and as specified by the directions maintained on the clerk of courts' website as to e-filing. (a) All e-filed documents shall be filed in Portable Document Format (PDF) or the preferred PDF/A on 81/2 x 11 inch pages. External electronic links, to material outside the filed document, are strictly prohibited. Internal links to other parts of the same filing are permissible.(b) Proposed entries and orders must be submitted in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format and reference the specific motion to which it applies.(2)Scanning and uploading paper documents. Any document filed in paper form will be scanned and uploaded to the clerk of courts' e-filing system. The uploaded electronic document shall constitute the original document.(3)Filing documents in paper form. An attorney wishing to file a specific document, or all documents in a given case, in paper form rather than electronically may file a motion requesting leave to so file. The motion for leave itself may be filed in paper form and shall set forth the exceptional circumstances justifying the request. The Court generally disfavors such motions.(4)Pro se litigants. Parties who are not represented by counsel are permitted to file documents in paper form without first requesting leave of court.(5)Vexatious litigator. Individuals who have been declared vexatious litigators, pursuant to R.C. 2323.52 or Loc.R. 23, will not be permitted to e-file documents and may file only in paper format.(6)Fees. Normal filing fees and case deposits will be collected via user credit card or debit card, or such other method as may be approved by the clerk of courts, at the time the document that requires such a fee or deposit is filed. Any document filed electronically that requires a fee may be rejected by the clerk of courts unless the filer completes the necessary documents to apply for waiver.(B) Date and time of electronic filingProvided that the filing is ultimately accepted by the clerk of courts, any document filed electronically shall be considered as filed when the transmission to the Court's authorized electronic filing system is complete. An electronic filing may be submitted to the clerk of courts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Any document filed on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday shall be deemed to have been filed on the next Court business day.
(1)Rejection or acceptance of e-filed documents. The clerk of courts will notify the filer when a filing has been accepted or rejected for docketing and filing in the clerk of courts' e-filing system.(2)Electronic file stamp. Upon acceptance by the clerk of courts, an e-filed document will be electronically file-stamped. This stamp will include the date and time that the filer transmitted the document to the clerk of courts, as well as the confirmation number of the filing. Once the document is electronically file stamped and entered on the docket, it is considered a permanent part of the case record.(3)System or user filing errors. If a party attempts to e-file a document and the document is not accepted for docketing and filing on the clerk of court's e-filing system because of a technical failure of the clerk of courts' system or of the filer, the party may file a corrective filing. A corrective filing within one business day after the notice of rejection will be considered timely filed.(4)Jurisdiction. Subsection (3) does not extend jurisdictional deadlines.(C) Service(1) E-filed documents must be served on the opposing party and shall be accomplished in the manner prescribed by App.R. 13. Notification by the e-filing system is insufficient to accomplish service under this provision.(2) Whenever a time period is measured from the time after a document is filed, the time will be measured from the date of filing.(D) Signatures(1)Signatures of parties and counsel. The signature of an attorney or a party on an e-filed document shall be represented with a signature of "/s/ [name]." The conformed signature on an e-filed document is a legal signature for purposes of the signature requirements of the civil and criminal rules of procedure, the rules of superintendence, and any other law, and will be considered the signature of the person it purports to be for all purposes as set forth in App.R. 13(A)(1). When a stipulation or other document requires two or more signatures, the filing party or attorney will designate in the signature line that it has authority to sign for the other party and how that authority was obtained. If it is established that the documents were transmitted without authority, the Court shall order the filing stricken.(2)Signature of third parties. Documents containing signatures of third parties, including signatures of notaries public, shall be scanned as an image and filed electronically. The filing person shall make the source document available for production and copying at the request of the Court, the clerk of courts, other counsel, or other parties representing themselves.Amended eff. 1/1/2022; amended eff. 2/1/2024.