CM/ECF stands for Case Management/Electronic Case Filing. CM/ECF is software that is accessed using standard computer hardware, an internet connection, and browser. The system accepts documents in Portable Document Format (.pdf) and allows registered users to electronically file and/or access documents 24 hours a day, seven days a week via the internet. Additionally, filers and other parties* in the case receive an automatically-generated notice verifying court receipt of filings. (*Only those parties who are CM/ECF users will receive electronic notification). NOTE: CM/ECF is tested for compatibility with Internet Explorer, Firefox/Mozilla, and Safari browsers. CM/ECF is not compatible with the Chrome browser and has not been tested with the Edge browser.

Amendments to schedules are governed by FRBP 1008 and 1009 and Local Rule 1009-1(A). Amended schedules must be filed in their entirety. Any changes, additions, or deletions must be clearly indicated. Changes to add, remove, or reclassify a creditor require payment of a filing fee, and changes to add creditors or modify existing creditors must also be accompanied by a supplemental mailing matrix containing only the name(s) and address(es) of the creditor(s) to be added or changed. See Instructional Document Inst-1 on the Forms page of this website for guidance.  Local Forms LF-36-M Matrix/List of Creditors and LF-36 Verification of Creditor Mailing Matrix may be used with the official schedule(s) form(s) being amended.

First, be certain that all pop-up blockers are turned off on your computer. If you have multiple toolbars installed (Internet Explorer, Google, AOL, Yahoo, Firefox, or others), you will need to ensure that the pop-up blocker on each one of them is turned off. Then login to CM/ECF and access "Internet Payments Due" through the Utilities menu.

Call the Clerk's office and ask to speak to the Case Administrator to whom the case is assigned. The Case Administrator's name appears in the upper right section of the docket report. In the alternative, call the Clerk’s Office and provide the case number to the person who answers the telephone. Your call will be transferred to your assigned Case Administrator. The Case Administrator cannot tell you when an order will be signed; they can only advise you of whether or not it has been submitted to chambers for review.

Debtor or Debtor's Attorney: The addition, removal, or reclassification of a creditor requires an amendment to the schedules and/or mailing matrix. See Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1009, N.D. Fla. LBR 1009-1, and the Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule (28 U.S.C. Sect. 1930) for more information.

Creditor: Docket a paperless event located in the Bankruptcy menu of CM/ECF under the "Claim and Creditor Activity" category: Add Creditor(s) > Enter Individual Creditor(s) (Paperless). You will be prompted to type in the name of the creditor for the docket text and, on the next screen, the name and address of the creditor for noticing and/or claims payment purposes. After you have added the creditor, you may proceed to file a claim.

You are logged into PACER. PACER will only allow you to query and view cases or print documents. CM/ECF and PACER screens are almost identical. If you are logged into PACER, then an icon located at the upper right corner of the screen will say “PACER.” If you are logged in with your Florida Northern Bankruptcy Court CM/ECF user name and password, then that icon will reflect your user type, e.g., Attorney, trustee, etc. 

Users often enter the wrong login and password or a user’s  computer may be set to automatically log into PACER. To access CM/ECF in this situation, logout of the system, clear your cache, and login into the system again using your CM/ECF login credentials.

You must make all user account changes through the "Maintain My ECF Account" in the CM/ECF Utilities menu.

Each uploaded PDF file may be no larger than 5Mb. This cap applies to main documents and attachments. If your document is larger than 5Mb, we suggest breaking it down into several PDFs and attaching each one to the docketing event. Attempting to upload an individual PDF file larger than 5Mb will result in the system "timing out" which will require you to start the event over again from the beginning.

No. 28 U.S.C. § 955 prohibits Clerk's Office staff from giving legal advice or assisting with the preparation of forms.

We accept only money orders and cashier checks from self-represented persons who are filing bankruptcy or who have a pending bankruptcy case.

We accept money orders, cashier's checks, and checks (see restrictions) from persons or entities who are not debtors in a pending bankruptcy case.  Checks will be accepted on a very limited basis:  from an attorney’s trust or operating account (unless the maker is a debtor in a bankruptcy case), an account of the trustee appointed to the case, or any United States, state or local government. 
 

No. We suggest that you contact the Florida Bar for a list of bankruptcy attorneys or consult your local phone book. For pro bono assistance, search the Bankruptcy Pro bono Resource Locator for an attorney in your area who may represent you free of charge (i.e., pro bono). The Northern District of Florida Bankruptcy Bar Association (NDFLBBA) also offers a Pro Bono Assistance Program. Visit their website to complete a contact form or call 866-944-6421.

The discharge releases the debtor from personal liability for the discharged debts. You should be aware that not all debts are dischargeable. Bankruptcy law regarding the scope of a discharge is complex. Debtors should consult legal counsel prior to filing

The Multi-Court Voice Case Information System (McVCIS) is an automated system which provides basic bankruptcy case information such as the case number, debtor name, last four digits of the debtor's Social Security Number, chapter, date the case was filed, debtor's attorney, trustee assigned to the case, judge assigned to the case, case status, date of discharge or dismissal, and date case was closed. McVCIS is available toll free at 1-866-222-8029. The code for the Northern District of Florida is eleven (11). You may also obtain case information from PACER (www.pacer.uscourts.gov) after registering. Note that there is a charge to use PACER. More information is provided on their website.

Immediately notify the Clerk’s Office of the error. Contact the Clerk's Office at 850-521-5001 or 866-639-4615 to obtain the fax number so that you can fax us a letter stating that the case was filed in error and requesting that it be closed.

1. Confirm that you have entered the correct information into Pay.gov (via the payment window)
2. Confirm that your credit card has not expired
3. Confirm that you have authorized the charge. (There is a small checkbox that is part of the payment process. If you do not have the payment window expanded to full-screen, you may not see this checkbox.)

We will be happy to help you with questions you may have about processes and procedures in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Florida.

The staff in our office are not permitted by law to provide legal advice including, but not limited to, how to complete forms, which forms need to be filed, how to create documents that do not use a pre-defined form (e.g., motions, responses, etc.), or how you should respond to something that has been filed.

We cannot assist you with processes or procedures for other districts as we are not familiar with their local requirements. Instead, we suggest that you visit their websites to obtain more information.

Additionally, we cannot provide technical assistance for bankruptcy petition preparation software packages. Neither are we permitted to make recommendations as to preference of one software package over another.

Proposed orders are submitted electronically through the "Submit Proposed Orders" link in either the Bankruptcy or Adversary menus in CM/ECF. This process will generate a "pop-up window" so please ensure that your pop-up blockers are turned off before beginning. Proposed orders must be submitted in Word (.doc or .docx) or Rich Text (.rtf) format. Attachments to the proposed order may be submitted in .pdf format. If the window in which to submit your proposed order does not appear after clicking the link, turn off your pop up blockers.

Anyone may request to receive notices in a specific bankruptcy case or adversary proceeding by filing a "Request for Notices (No Attorney Appearance)." Attorneys wishing to file documents in a case (other than a proof of claim) or to notify the court of representation of a party in a case should file a "Notice of Appearance (Appearance of Attorney)." Attorneys appearing in Florida Northern Bankruptcy Court cases must be admitted to practices in the Northern District of Florida. Consult the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida’s website for attorney admission information.

Consult Administrative Order 21-001 concerning hearings before Chief Judge Karen K. Specie. Telephone conference information for Judge Henry A. Callaway and Jerry C. Oldshue is located within the hearing notice.

To change your notification settings from "Daily Summary" to "Individual Emails," login to CM/ECF (not PACER) and access your ECF account (Utilities > Maintain My ECF Account). Select the "Email information" button and change your settings from "Send a Daily Summary Report" to "Send a notice for each filing." These radio button options are located toward the bottom of your screen. After changing your notification selection, select the "Return to Account screen" button and then the "Submit" button on the account screen. Failure to "Submit" your changes will result in them not being saved.