GENERAL INFO.	If you have recently upgraded or purchased new petition preparation software, the chances are good that it includes an ability to have the bankruptcy petition that you have prepared “uploaded” into CM/ECF. This feature will save you approximately 7 – 10 minutes per case during bankruptcy case filing. Three files, (four if it is a Chapter 13 case), are created for you by your petition preparation software – two .txt files (or a compatible variation such as .scn) and one (or two if Chapter 13) .pdf files. The two .txt files are similar to the following examples: The two .pdf files are similar to the following examples: This lesson will demonstrate the steps that you will follow if you are “uploading” your client’s bankruptcy petition.
STEPS PRIOR TO FILING	Someone in your office will have entered the debtor(s)’ information into the petition preparation software program. Your client will have reviewed the petition and any necessary changes will have been made to the petition. A paper copy of the petition will be printed and the debtor(s) will have signed his/her “real signature” in all the requisite locations.
HELP SCREENS	Help is available for most screens by clicking on the button. The help box will display describing the fields and what entry is required for the window you are currently viewing. Click on the button at the upper right hand corner of the screen or the button to close the help screen.
STEP 1	Go back into the petition preparation software program and follow your software’s instructions to convert the petition into the final two .txt files and the one (or two if Chapter 13) .pdf files.
NOTE ON INSTALL- MENT CASES	A case where the fees are going to be paid in installments cannot currently be “uploaded” as a result of changes caused by Version 2.2 and internet credit card payment. With an installment case, it will be necessary for you to open the case using the slower “Open a Bk Case” method. (See separate instructions for examples of case opening using “Open a Bk Case”.)
STEP 2	Log in to the CM/ECF System using your ECF Login and Password if you aren’t already logged in. NOTE: After logging in, if you click on Netscape Navigator’s (resize) button accidentally instead of clicking the minimize button, or if you drag the sides to resize the Netscape window, there is a Netscape Navigator bug which will throw you out of your CM/ECF session and you will lose all the information that you have entered up to that point. So, resize the window before you login!
STEP 3	Click on “Bankruptcy” in the blue menu bar at the top of the screen.
STEP 4	Click on the hyperlink in the categories list.
CASE UPLOAD SCREEN	The “Open New Bankruptcy Case” upload screen now displays.
STEP 5	For this training, we will upload a Chapter 7 case. Follow the separate instructions for “Browsing For and Selecting the Correct .pdf Document” to find, open, review, and select the three documents required. The same steps will be used to browse for and select the .txt documents as you use to select .pdf documents. For the training case, the three .pdf and .txt documents will be on your training computer’s “c:/” drive. NOTE: At your law firm, the .pdf and .txt documents may be stored on a network drive or on the “c:/” drive of a staff member’s computer. The completed screen will look similar to the example below.
WARNING MESSAGES	If you click the button, without selecting any documents, the following error message will display. If leave the first field empty, the following error message will display. If you enter the wrong type document into the second field or leave it empty, the following error message will display.
STEP 6	The following receipt screen will display next. Simply click the button, if you will be paying the filing fee using a credit card via the internet. Type “ck” in the receipt number box and then click the button, if you are paying by check, money order or cash instead of credit card. If you are paying by check, money order or cash, the payment needs to be received by the court within 24 hours of the filing. For the purposes of training, click the button to send this bankruptcy case to the court.
NO ATTENTION MESSAGE	Unlike other CM/ECF screens, there is no red “Attention” message on this screen to let you know that by clicking the button, you are sending the bankruptcy case to the court.
STEP 7	The “Summary of Current Charges” screen now displays. Click the button and follow the separate instructions for “Payment of Fees Via the Internet”, if you wish to go ahead and pay the filing fee immediately. Click the button, if you wish to pay all the filing fees for a particular day all at once near the end of the day. Later, when you desire to pay all your accumulated filing fees for the day, follow the separate instructions for “Payment of Fees Via the Internet”.
NOTICE OF ELEC- TRONIC FILING	After you have continued the filing or completed the payment process, the “Notice of Electronic Filing” of your client’s bankruptcy petition will now display. One of the most important pieces of information on this notice is the case number assigned to your case. See the separate instructions regarding “Notices of Electronic Filing”.
BENEFITS OF CASE UPLOAD	This process eliminates having to take separate steps to convert the debtor’s matrix to .txt format. This process also eliminates a much lengthier process of entering all the debtor(s) personal information, chapter being filed etc. Finally, this process has already “uploaded” the creditor matrix, so you will not have to take that step next.