Guidance

How to use the HMCTS E-Filing service

Guides for registering and using the E-filing service in the High Court and the upper tribunals.

• From: HM Courts & Tribunals Service
• Published: 26 April 2021
• Last updated: 22 November 2021 — See all updates

Documents

Create and manage your account

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Submit and manage your filings

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Create a public search and request office copies

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Details

The HMCTS E-Filing service can be used by legal professionals on behalf of their clients or by people who do not have a solicitor, known as ‘litigants in person’.

You can securely submit, pay for and manage your cases online for the:

• Business and Property Courts
• Court of Appeal (Civil Division)
• Employment Appeal Tribunal
• High Court Family Appeals
• King’s Bench Division, claims and appeals in the Royal Courts of Justice (London, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle)
• Senior Courts Costs Office
• Upper Tribunal – Administrative Appeals Chamber
• Upper Tribunal – Immigration and Asylum Chamber
• Upper Tribunal – Lands Chamber
• Upper Tribunal – Tax and Chancery Chamber

These guides provide step-by-step instructions for using the service to:

• create and manage your account
• submit and manage your filings
• search for cases and request copies of documents (office copies)

Before using these guides or submitting any filings, please visit our main guidance page on the HMCTS E-Filing service for citizens and professionals. This explains:

• what the E-Filing service is
• what you need to know before you start
• what happens after you have submitted a filing
• other ways to submit filings (if you cannot use the E-Filing service)
• how to get further advice and support

If you cannot or prefer not to use the E-Filing service, you can submit paper copies of forms and documents to the court by post or by hand. Find the address of the address of the court.

E-Filing is mandatory in some jurisdictions for legally represented parties. Please refer to practice direction 510, paragraph 2.2.

Published 26 April 2021
Last updated 22 November 2021 + show all updates

1. 22 November 2021

   Changes to some of the images following updates to screens in the service.

2. 12 July 2021

   Added Employment Appeal Tribunal to the listed courts

3. 28 June 2021

   Added Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) to the list of applicable courts.

4. 26 April 2021

   First published.