Court Filing
Track court cases, manage filing deadlines, and monitor e-filing submissions across all jurisdictions.
Overview
Court filing management sits at the intersection of matters and deadlines — and missed filing deadlines in litigation are among the most serious professional errors a litigator can make. A missed limitation period, a late defence, or a failure to file a court document by its prescribed due date can result in summary judgment, strike-out, adverse costs orders, and professional negligence liability. The stakes are high enough that court deadlines require dedicated tracking, not just a note in a calendar.
The Court Filing module is the firm's central record of all court proceedings: case details, party roles, assigned judges, active filing obligations, their due dates, and their current status. For jurisdictions that support electronic filing, it integrates with the e-filing workflow. For all cases, it provides a unified dashboard of pending filings and upcoming deadlines so nothing falls through the cracks.
What the Module Tracks
Court Cases
Each court proceeding is registered as a separate Court Case record, distinct from (but linked to) the underlying matter. A matter may involve multiple proceedings — the underlying work and the discrete cases are tracked separately.
Case Details
Case number, case name, case type (Civil, Criminal, Administrative, Family, etc.), client role (Plaintiff, Defendant, Appellant, Respondent, etc.), the presiding judge's name, and the date the proceeding was filed.
Filings
Each formal document or application filed in the proceeding — Originating Process, Defence, Interlocutory Application, Submissions, Affidavit, etc. — with its filing type, title, due date, submitted date, and filing fee.
E-Filing Support
Jurisdictions that have electronic filing portals are flagged with an e-filing enabled indicator. For these jurisdictions, the Court Filing module integrates with the e-filing workflow to submit documents directly.
Filing Status Lifecycle
Dashboard Summary
The summary panel shows four key metrics:
Registering a Court Case and Its Filings
Open Court Filing and click + New Case
Click Court Filing in the sidebar under Firm Operations. Click + New Case.
Enter case details
Enter the case number assigned by the court, case name (typically "Plaintiff v Defendant"), case type, and your client's role in the proceeding. Enter the presiding judge's name if known. Select the jurisdiction.
Link to a matter
Link the case to the underlying matter in FRITH. This populates the case with the client name and matter number and creates the cross-reference between the case record and the matter file.
Add filing obligations
For each document that must be filed in the proceeding, click + Add Filing. Enter the filing type, title, due date, and any filing fee applicable. Create one record per filing obligation — do not bundle multiple filings into one record.
Update status as filings progress
As documents are prepared, change status to In Progress. When submitted, change to Submitted and enter the submission date and the confirmation reference number from the court. For e-filing enabled jurisdictions, use the e-filing workflow to submit directly and have the status update automatically.
Monitor the Upcoming Deadlines view
Check the Upcoming Deadlines count daily or at each weekly team meeting. Any filing due within 14 days that is still at Pending status should be escalated to the responsible attorney immediately.
Court deadline management principles
- • Register court cases and their filing obligations on the day a proceeding is served or filed — not after the directions hearing, not "when you get a chance". The time between service and your first awareness of the deadline is the most dangerous window. Seize it immediately.
- • Double-diary every court deadline: in the Court Filing module AND in the calendar as a separate event with a reminder 7 days before the due date. No single system should be the only protection against a missed deadline.
- • For extension applications: when a court grants an extension of a filing deadline, update the filing record immediately — change the due date to the new date and add a note with the order details. An extension you know about but haven't recorded in the system offers no protection when the old date triggers a missed-deadline alert.
- • After every directions hearing, update all affected filing obligations on the same day. Courts regularly change timetables — every change must be reflected in the module before you leave the courthouse or log off that day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does e-filing work?
For jurisdictions with e-filing enabled in FRITH, the filing record has an additional "Submit via E-Filing" button. Clicking this opens the e-filing workflow where you upload the signed document, select the filing type from the court's approved list, and submit. FRITH records the submission date and court reference number automatically on successful submission.
Can I track filing fees in this module?
Yes. Each filing record includes a Filing Fee field (the amount payable to the court) and a Fee Status field (paid, unpaid, waived). Filing fees paid are recorded for disbursement billing — link them to the matter's disbursement record from the filing detail view.
What if a case is discontinued or settled before all filings are complete?
Update the case status to "Resolved" or "Discontinued" and set all pending filing obligations to "Waived" with a note explaining why — e.g., "Matter settled 15 April 2026 — joint notice of discontinuance filed". This clears the pending filings from the outstanding obligations count.
Can multiple attorneys be assigned to a court case?
Yes. The court case record has an assigned attorneys field where multiple team members can be listed. All assigned attorneys receive deadline notifications for that case.