When submitting an eFiling through the One Legal platform, the Case Participants screen is a required step that helps the court understand who is involved in the case and who is submitting the filing. Completing this section accurately ensures your documents are routed correctly and reduces the risk of rejection or delays.

This article explains what “Case Participants” means, defines Filed By and Filed As To, and walks you through how to move past this step in the workflow.

What Are Case Participants?

Case Participants are the individuals or entities connected to the case. This includes parties such as:

• Plaintiffs / Petitioners
• Defendants / Respondents
• Attorneys representing those parties
• Self-represented litigants (pro pers)

On the filing platform, these participants are used to:

• Identify who is involved in the case
• Associate filings with the correct party
• Ensure the court record is updated accurately

You may be asked to either:

• Select existing participants (from a case you are filing into), or
• Add new participants (if starting a new case or adding missing parties)
   

Key Definitions

Filed By (Submitting Party)

The Filed By field identifies the person or entity submitting the document to the court.

This is typically:

• The attorney of record
• The law firm submitting on behalf of a client
• A self-represented litigant (pro per)
• A filing agent submitting on behalf of a firm

Important:
The Filed By party is who is physically submitting the filing, not necessarily the party named in the lawsuit.

Filed As To (Case Party)

The Filed As To field identifies the party or parties the document is directed toward or associated with in the case.

This usually includes:

• Defendant(s) when filing a complaint
• Plaintiff(s) when filing a responsive document
• Specific parties impacted by the filing (e.g., motions, notices, subpoenas)

Important:
Filed As To refers to the case participants the document concerns, not the filer.

Example

If an attorney files a motion on behalf of a defendant:

• Filed By: Attorney Jane Smith (Smith Law Firm)Filed 
• As To: Defendant John Doe

If a plaintiff files a complaint themselves:

• Filed By: Plaintiff John Doe (Pro Per)Filed 
• As To: Defendant ABC Corporation

How to Move Past the Case Participants Screen

To proceed in the workflow, you must ensure all required participant fields are completed correctly.

Step-by-Step Guide

Review existing case participants: Confirm all listed parties are accurate. Check spelling, role type, and party alignment
Assign “Filed By”: Select the correct filer from the list. If missing, add a new participant with the correct role (e.g., Attorney, Pro Per, Firm)
Assign “Filed As To”: Select one or more relevant case parties. Ensure you are selecting the correct side(s) of the case.
Validate required fields: The system will flag missing or incomplete assignments. All required participants must be assigned before continuing
Click “Continue” or “Next Step”: Once all required roles are assigned, the workflow will unlock the next screen
 

Common Issues and How to Fix Them

Issue: Cannot proceed to next step

Likely cause: Filed By or Filed As To not selected
Fix: Assign at least one participant to each required field

Issue: Wrong party selected

Fix: Remove incorrect participant and reassign correct one before proceeding

Issue: Missing participant

Fix: Add new participant manually using correct role type
 

Key Takeaway

The Case Participants screen ensures the court understands who is filing and who the filing relates to:

Filed By = who is submitting the filing
Filed As To = who the filing is about

Completing both accurately is required to move forward in the eFiling workflow and helps prevent rejections or processing delays.