Overview
How does the process work?
Typical workflow
Why e-file?
How can my firm participate in e-filing?
Do we need any system changes or upgrades to our system to be able to e-file?
Procedures Guide to Electronic Filing
PowerPoint Tutorial
Contact information and additional questions

 Overview

The workers' compensation electronic filing program enables attorneys, insurance carriers, governmental agencies and self insurers to file and receive workers' compensation legal documents through the Internet. Twelve different types of legal pleadings may be filed under this new program.

 How does the process work?

In order to participate in electronic filing, your firm must first be signed up for the COURTS on-line program. Visit the COURTS on-line page for information on how to sign-up for this program. We are giving COURTS on-line participating firms the ability to designate who on their staff will have electronic filing rights. For law firms, we are offering 3 different access levels. For insurance carriers and self-administered self-insurers, we are offering two access levels.

Important Note - As long as one subscriber from a law firm or carrier is designated as an active electronic filing participant, that firm will receive notices of electronically filed legal pleadings only through the COURTS on-line website. Manually filed documents will continue to be sent to the parties of a case through US Mail.

The electronic filing process is very simple. For subscribers that have been given electronic filing access, they will see the following five "e-filing" buttons, which are in addition to the existing COURTS on-line functions.

 Typical workflow

The following is just one example of how the program will function.

In this scenario, all the parties of the case (petitioner attorney, insurance carrier and respondent attorney) have opted to participate in electronic filing. The document that is being filed is an Employee Claim Petition (CP).

>>Step 1 (Petitioner Attorney initiates filing):

• To file a claim petition, an attorney or a designated staff person would click on the "E-Filing" button and then select Employee Claim Petition from the list of 12 available documents.

• The next screen will prompt for the SSN of the injured party. After entering this, a CP template will appear in the screen, pre-filled with the attorney’s name and address. Click here to view a sample claim petition template. (Note - the template is non-functional and for viewing purposes only)

• To further facilitate data entry, if the attorney filing the new case represented the petitioner on a prior case, the petitioner’s name, address, date of birth, sex and marital status fields will also be pre-filled in the CP template. This data can be updated if necessary. The template is an easy to use data entry form that has drop down or pop-up search boxes for the municipality/zip code and insurance carrier sections.

• At any time prior to submitting the CP to the Division, the document can be saved and stored in an on-line folder called "My File Cabinet". From here, the CP can be opened up at a later time so that it can be edited if necessary.

• After data entry is completed and verified for accuracy, the final version of the document must be saved, printed and then signed by the petitioner. Administrative rules and statutory requirements require attorneys to retain in their files an original signed copy of all electronically filed court pleadings.

• After the petitioner signs the hard copy of the claim petition, the on-line version of the document can be submitted to the Division. At that point, the data from the CP will be automatically verified for accuracy and then deposited into the Division's database. The petitioner’s attorney will receive instant confirmation of the filing along with the CP number, the assigned court vicinage and if there is a related case already in our system, the assigned judge on the case.

>>Step 2 (Insurance Carrier receives CP and assigns respondent counsel):

• Within minutes after the petitioner attorney files the CP, the insurance carrier will be immediately served an electronic copy of the document.

• This document appears in their "Messages" Box within the COURTS on-line website. At this point, the document can be printed and manually handled by designated claims personnel or it can be electronically forwarded to a respondent attorney of the carrier’s choice. This automatic forwarding is accomplished easily through an on-line search tool. The attorney selected must also be an electronic filing participant.

>>Step 3(Respondent Attorney receives CP and files on-line Answer):

• Respondent Attorneys can e-file an Answer on any petition filed with the Division, regardless of whether it was filed electronically or manually. If the CP was e-filed and if the carrier designated a particular respondent firm to handle the Answer, the claim petition document will appear in the designated respondent attorney's COURTS on-line Message Box. The Document will stay in the Message Box until an Answer is filed.

• To answer the claim petition, the Respondent Attorney can locate the CP they want to respond to in their Message Box and click on the “Answer to CP” button. The Answer to CP template will appear in the screen, pre-filled with the Petitioner, Respondent, Carrier and Respondent Attorney data. This data can be corrected if necessary.

• At any time during the process and prior to submitting the Answer to the Division, the document can be saved and stored in the Respondent Attorney’s “File Cabinet”. From here, the Answer can be opened up at a later time for additional editing if necessary.

• After data entry is completed and verified for accuracy, the final version of the document must be saved, printed and then signed by the respondent attorney. Recent administrative rule revisions and statutory requirements require attorneys to retain in their files an original signed copy of all electronically filed court pleadings.

• Once the respondent attorney submits the Answer, the document will be sent electronically to the petitioner’s attorney along with a copy to the carrier. The respondent attorney no longer has to mail the Answer to the Division, the Petitioner’s Attorney and the Insurance Carrier.

 

**This simple process can be made even simpler, as follows:

Carriers are being given the ability to “pre-designate” up to 15 respondent law firms (corresponding to the Division’s 15 hearing offices) to automatically receive notice of all electronically filed legal documents sent to the carrier.

By using the “pre-designation” option, carrier personnel will not have to individually designate a respondent attorney for every e-filed case. This feature is particularly helpful for carriers who use “house counsel” or refer cases to particular respondent attorneys based upon the vicinage assigned on the case. The respondent attorneys selected for this pre-designation feature must be COURTS on-line electronic filing participants.

Preview a PowerPoint demo of this process. (click on slide show)

CD-ROM version of PowerPoint tutorial - To order a copy, please call (609) 777-4921 or send us an e-mail at courts@dol.state.nj.us.

 Why e-file?

Conclusion: When all parties of a case are electronic partners of the Division, this whole process, which manually could take several weeks, can potentially be completed within minutes. And better yet, all e-filed documents will be stored in our database, available for viewing or downloading at any time by any party. For attorneys and insurance carriers representing injured workers and employers, e filing will provide the ability to conduct real time business with the Division and with each other, resulting in visible improvements to case processing time.

Aside from the obvious increase in efficiency, it is simply much easier to store, maintain and retrieve information from electronic records. The Division is actively moving forward with this significant enhancement in service and has requested the assistance of several NJ law firms to conduct beta testing of the program before releasing.

 How can my firm participate in electronic filing?

Participation in e-filing is open to COURTS on-line subscribers. If your firm is not enrolled in COURTS on-line, please complete a COURTS on-line Internet Access Application form (  PDF, MS Word) and submit to the Division by mail or by Fax. Within 2-4 weeks, you will receive instructions in the mail on how to access the COURTS on-line system.

If you are already a COURTS on-line subscriber and you wish to participate in electronic filing, please contact your company's COURTS on-line Contact Person for further assistance. The COURTS on-line Contact Person must complete a Subscriber Change Form ( PDF , MS Word), indicating the names of the subscribers who should be granted e-filing rights. If you are unsure of the name of your company’s contact person, please call us at (609) 777-4921 or send an e-mail to courts@dol.state.nj.us.

 Do we need any system changes or upgrades to our system to be able to e-file?

 Procedures and tutorials for Electronic Filing

E-Filing Procedures Guide: PDF format 

COURTS on-line E-Filing upgrade information - April 10, 2006
(Re-Opener and Amendments and other system improvements)
Instructions on how to file Applications for Review and/or Modification of Formal Award (ARM), Answer to ARM and Amendments to all document types.

E-Filing Frequently Asked Questions 

E-Filing Helpful Hints - memo1 (8/15/2003)
 Word format or PDF format 

E-Filing Helpful Hints - memo2 (3/1/2004)
 Word format or  PDf format 

On-line PowerPoint tutorial

CD-ROM version of PowerPoint tutorial - To order a copy, please call (609) 777-4921 or send us an e-mail at courts@dol.state.nj.us.

COURTS on-line Proceedings Codes 

 Contact Information and Additional Questions

If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact: