Appellate Acrobatics!

In just a few hours, we can OCR your files, merge and split them into the required volume sizes, create required indexes and bookmarks, Bates stamp the pages, and satisfy all California Appeal Court formatting guidelines (including Local Rules) for e-filing.

Here’s what you do:

1. Prepare a cover page template.

2. Prepare a 3-column chronological table listing (1) the tab number, (2) filing date and, (3) description of each file to be included in the index, as well as a description of each attachment to primary documents such as declarations.

3. Add a zero-padded prefix number to the file names of each document to be included in the appendix, to ensure they are listed chronologically.

When you have completed the above, just send the files to us via our ShareFile portal.

Here’s what we do:

1. Run diagnostics on all PDF files and resolve issues as needed.

2. Rotate landscaped pages as needed.

3. OCR and compress all files using visually lossless compression.

4. Merge and split files by number of pages and/or file size in accordance with local Court rules.

5. Create chronological and alphabetical indices in accordance with local Court rules.

6. Add bookmarks in each volume linking to the first page of all listed documents and attachments, setting magnification to “inherit zoom.”

7. Bates stamp all volumes using continuous Arabic numbers from cover page of first volume through last page of last volume.

8. Set Acrobat page counter to match page/Bates numbers in volumes.

9. Add Volume and Page numbers to all volume covers in accordance with local Court rules.

10. In addition to the ready-to-e-file set of appendix volumes, we provide a merged set of volumes with linked indices for counsel’s convenience when adding record cites to the brief.

2. Prepare a 3-column table

Prepare a three-column table and list each document’s tab number, date, and description in chronological order, as shown in the table below.

The data in this list will be used to populate the chronological and alphabetical index pages in the appendix as well as the bookmark text. Please do not use paragraphs, tabs, or extra spaces in the description column in order to format the text – the asterisks in the tab column inform our software on formatting.

Documents with attachments. Attachments and sub-attachments to documents such as declarations, must be provided as a single file—do not separate attachments from the parent file! List the attachments in separate rows immediately below the primary document description (See red rectangles in the table below).

Instead of a tab number, an attachment is identified by an asterisk before a number, which is its starting page number in that file and will be indented in the index and bookmarks. For instance, Exhibit A of Tab 6 begins on page 4 of Tab 6. Two asterisks before a number identifies the starting page of a sub-attachment, which will be indented an additional level in the index and bookmarks (See Tab 20). Three asterisks denote a sub-attachment to a sub-attachment.

Note that dates for attachments should not be listed in the date column but should instead be included in the document description.

Please provide this table as a Word or Word Perfect file named FileIndexInfo.

Let us know when you have completed the 3 steps above, and we’ll send you a link to our ShareFile portal. You’ll have the completed appendix, ready to e-file within a few hours.

Questions? Call us at (831) 646-8040)

Our Tiered Approach

We use “tiered” pricing based on the number of documents and attachments included in the appendix, both of which must be bookmarked and listed in the index. (see Title 8, Rule 8.74(a)(3)).

The three pricing tiers reflect economies of scale as the number of documents increases.

Tier 1. For the first 100 documents, $6 per document.
Tier 2. For the next 100 documents, $4 per document.
Tier 3. For all remaining documents, $3 per document.

Note: Projects with fewer than 50 documents and attachments will be invoiced our minimum charge of $300.