NYSCEF (New York State Courts Electronic Filing System) is New York’s official online Court filing and case management database that allows attorneys, self-represented litigants, title companies, researchers, and other authorized users to electronically file Court documents, access case records, review dockets, track case activity, receive Court notifications, and retrieve filed pleadings and orders from participating Courts throughout New York State. You do not need to have an account, but can search the database as a guest. However, to commence a lawsuit and/or file as a party or attorney on NYSCEF requires an account.
New York’s electronic filing system, NYSCEF, is now available in all 62 New York counties for authorized case types. E-filing has expanded significantly and is mandatory for many Supreme Court civil actions. However, availability depends on the specific Court and type of proceeding and not all matters are eligible for NYSCEF, including some criminal Court, local Court, and specialized proceedings. Before filing, parties should confirm whether their Court and case type is authorized for electronic filing. The website for each Court contains a link to the Court rules, procedures, and e-filing protocols.
NYSCEF serves as both an electronic filing platform and a searchable case database, providing convenient online access to Court records and filings without requiring an in-person visit to the Courthouse. Users can search eligible cases, view publicly available documents, monitor litigation activity, and manage filings electronically from virtually anywhere and covers the following Courts:
• New York State Supreme Court
• Surrogate’s Court (probate, administration, and related estate proceedings in many counties, now expanding further)
• New York State Court of Claims
• New York City Civil Court for many case types
• New York City Family Court in all five NYC counties
• Certain County Courts, City Courts, and District Courts where e-filing has been authorized
PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) is the federal judiciary’s online case management and records system. It provides access to case and docket information from U.S. District Courts, Bankruptcy Courts, and Courts of Appeals nationwide. Through PACER, users can search federal lawsuits, bankruptcy filings, judgments, Court orders, pleadings, and other case documents. Attorneys, businesses, researchers, and members of the public use PACER to monitor litigation, conduct legal research, perform due diligence, and obtain official federal court records from anywhere with internet access. An account is needed to search PACER, and identification and a method of payment must be provided; there are also charges to download documents, which varies. The following Courts are available on PACER:
EDDS (Electronic Document Delivery System) is a free online portal provided by the New York State Unified Court System for the electronic submission of documents to participating Courts. Attorneys and self-represented litigants may create an EDDS account at no cost and use the system to securely transmit authorized Court documents when permitted by Court rules. While EDDS is not a public case search database and does not provide full electronic filing capabilities like NYSCEF, it offers a convenient method for delivering documents to Courts electronically without the need for in-person filing or mailing paper documents. EDDS includes the following New York State lower Courts:
WebSurrogate is a free online case search system provided by the New York State Unified Court System that offers public access to Surrogate’s Court records throughout New York State. Users can search probate, administration, guardianship, and other Surrogate’s Court proceedings by decedent name, file number, attorney, and/or county, and case type. No account is required to perform basic searches, making it a convenient resource for attorneys, genealogists, title professionals, researchers, and members of the public seeking information about estate-related Court matters. While WebSurrogate provides access to case information and docket details, document availability varies by county and case type, and it is not an electronic filing platform like NYSCEF. Not all documents are viewable, such as birth and death certificates, Letters of Administration/Testamentary, and various other documents at the Court’s direction.
FindLaw is a free online legal information and research resource website that provides access to case law, statutes, legal articles, court opinions, legal forms, and attorney directories. No account is required to access most of its legal research tools, making it a valuable resource for attorneys, legal professionals, students, and members of the public seeking reliable legal information. Users can research federal and state laws, review Court decisions, explore legal topics, and locate attorneys by practice area and location. While FindLaw offers extensive legal reference materials and research tools, it is not a Court filing system and does not provide access to official Court records or permit the filing of legal documents.
Fastcase is a legal research platform that provides access to case law, statutes, court rules, regulations, and other legal authorities from federal and state jurisdictions throughout the United States. The service is generally subscription-based and requires an account for access, although free or discounted access may be available through participating state and local bar association and is available to attorneys, legal professionals, law students, businesses, and members of the public who maintain an active subscription or qualifying membership. Users can search legal databases, review judicial opinions, perform citation analysis, and conduct comprehensive legal research using advanced search tools. While Fastcase offers extensive legal research capabilities and access to published case law, it is not an official Court database, does not provide access to all Court records, and cannot be used to file legal documents with a Court.