Guidance

HMCTS E-Filing service for citizens and professionals

Send files, pay fees and track cases in the High Court and the upper tribunals.

About the E-Filing service

The E-Filing service is an online tool managed by HM Courts and Tribunals (HMCTS). It 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:

In E-Filing you can gather all the documents that you need to send, along with other information about your claim or case, and send it all together as one package – this is known as a ‘filing’.

Before you start

To use the E-Filing service, you’ll need to make sure that you have all your documents and information to hand. This includes:

1. digital versions of anything you wish to send to HMCTS:

  • court forms
  • decision letters, or orders from a court
  • evidence in support of a claim, such as witness statements or correspondence

2. your payment details

If you are a litigant in person, you can pay fees using a credit or debit card or by entering your help with fees number – get help with fees.

If you need help understanding the fees you are required to pay, please contact the court.

If you are a solicitor acting on behalf of a client, you can pay using an HMCTS Payment by Account (PBA) number.

Register for and use the E-Filing service

Use the E-Filing registration form to create your account and start sending documents. You should use your email address as your username.

Register for and use the E-Filing service

See the guides on how to use the E-Filing service:

  • Create and manage your account
  • Submit and manage your filings
  • Create a public search and request office copies

What happens next

Once we have received your filing, you will receive a notification in the E-Filing service or an email, depending on what option your chose (see the create and manage your account guide).

We will review the filing and send you another notification or email to say that it has been accepted or rejected. If rejected, we will explain why. It is usually that a form has been completed incorrectly, the incorrect fee has been paid or the correct document has not been sent. You will be able to resubmit rejected filings.

Once your files have been accepted, you can monitor the progress of your case and see any sealed documents by searching for them on the E-Filing service (see the submit and manage your filings guide).

For new cases you will also be sent a letter explaining what to do next, which will depend on what jurisdiction you have filed in.

Other ways to submit filings

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 court.

You can also choose to use some of the online services but not others. For example, you may prefer to submit a new claim by sending paper copies of forms or documents to the court; but then once a new case has been issued, follow your claim online and send additional documents using the E-Filing service.

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

Advice and support

If you are a litigant in person and are unsure what documents you should send, whether you should use the E-Filing service or need help with understanding your case or any legal terminology, you can:

If you need help selecting categories and filing types for your case or documents, contact the court where your case or claim is being heard.

If you experience any technical issues with the E-Filing service, such as not being able to log in or upload a document, please email efilesupport@justice.gov.uk.

Published 26 April 2021
Last updated 30 September 2022 + show all updates
  1. Changed to King's Bench

  2. Added Employment Appeal Tribunal to the listed courts

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

  4. First published.