Getting Started with Electronic Filing in the Business Court
1. Local Rules of Court
The General Rules of Practice and Procedure for the North Carolina Business Court govern all cases before the Court. Attorneys with cases before the Court should review these rules before contacting the Court with procedural questions or with questions about the Court's electronic filing system. Click Here to view a copy of the local rules.
2. Filing with the Business Court
Absent an agreement to change venue, a case assigned to the Business Court remains pending in the county in which it was filed. All documents filed in a case before the Business Court must be filed with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county in which the case is pending. In addition to filing with the Clerk of Court, the parties must send copies of all filed documents to Judge Tennille. The Court prefers that all parties who have the capability use the Court's electronic filing system to submit all correspondence, motions, briefs and other documents to the Court. In addition, the parties should meet and confer to decide whether they also wish to use the electronic filing system as a substitute for paper service. The Court requests that the parties refrain from forwarding to the Court hard copies of any documents that are filed electronically.
3. Electronic Filing Software
To download the Attorney Electronic Filing Software, go to the home page of this website, and click on the Court Docket button. Next, click on the Court Cases button. You will then be prompted to enter either the case number (omit spaces) or a party's name. Once you have entered the party's name or case number, click Lookup. You will then be taken to a screen listing your case. By clicking on the case number you will be taken to the page where all filings in your case can be found. At the top of that page click on Apply to E-file. This will provide you with an application to file electronically in this case. Fill out the application with your party, case and attorney information. When you have completed the application, click on Submit. Note: you can list two additional people to receive email notice of the case events.
4. Email Notification
You will receive an email from the Business Court Clerk accepting your application for Electronic Filing. This notice will contain both the Authorization Number that will authorize you to file in the case and a link to a downloadable version of the Attorney Electronic Filing Program.
5. Download and Install the Attorney Electronic Filing Program
Follow the link in your acceptance email to download the Attorney Electronic Filing Program. After downloading the file, locate it on your hard drive. To begin the installation process, double-click on the file. Answer any installation questions based on your chosen configuration. An icon will be created for you to execute the program. Please visit the Support section of this website to review Frequently Asked Questions and Document Preparation information.
6. Electronic Signature
The first time you access the Attorney Electronic Filing Program, you will be prompted to obtain an electronic signature. The electronic signature is one of the several ways the Court insures that its system accepts documents from only those attorneys authorized to file on behalf of a particular party in a given case.