Answers to frequently asked questions about eForm filing

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Topics covered in this FAQ include:

Filing eForms

About filing eForms:

Q: What is eForms filing and how does one sign up to use it?

A: eForms are electronic web forms submitted one at a time over the internet to file documents in EAMS. Attachments are submitted in electronic format as attachments to the eForms, much like attachments to e-mail. Please note that eForms are not OCR paper forms. You can learn more about signing up for electronic filing on the EForm Filers webpage.

Q: Today our office is supposed to start using eForms. However, we are unable to log on. Please advise me as to what the problem might be.

A: Did your office did attend the mandatory eForms training? If not, your account has not been enabled. Have you followed the guides to set up your browser to work with eForms? If not, please contact EFORMS@dir.ca.gov and they will provide them. Also please check for extra spaces before or after your username and or password when entering that information as our system as EAMS is case and space sensitive.

Q: Sometimes we can login but other times we cannot. Why is this happening?

A: You may be locking yourself out due to too many failed attempts to login. When this happens the EAMS system will lock your account for 30 minutes and then automatically unlock it for you.

Q: If I am filing eForms, will I need to fill out a separate cover sheet or a separator sheet to go on the top of each eForm and document?

A: No, eForms are structured so that the first five tabs/pages of every form are the cover sheet. For your supporting documents you will choose the most correct document title in place of the separator sheet in the attachments section of the eForm. OCR forms are not to be used to e-file except when you are attaching a wet signed C&R or STIP with your eForm C&R or STIP.

Q: Is there a way to unselect a radio button in an eForm if you select one in error?

A: There is no way to unselect the radio buttons in an eForm. You will have close the eForm and start over again.

Q: Once we get our batch number, where do we go to see if our document was received by the WCAB?

A: To view your e-filed documents and their attachments, click on the “FileNet Documents” link located near the top right corner of the ADJ home page. This will open a FileNet window where all the ADJ documents are stored and you can then click on the document you wish to view.  

Q: What is the UDQ and why did our e-filed documents go there? How do we contact the UDQ supervisor?

A: If your eForm submission doesn't make it through the batch process and into FileNet it is because there are error(s) in the eForm and your batch has been routed to the Unprocessed Document Queue (UDQ). Once there, the UDQ Operator will correct the error(s) and reprocess your batch or if there are too many errors to fix, they will send you a message stating what the error(s) are and delete your batch. Do not refile your documents unless told to do so by the UDQ Operator.

You contact the UDQ Unit by sending an email to EFORMS@dir.ca.gov with “UDQ Supervisor” in the subject line and the batch ID with other relevant information and any questions you may have in the body of the email.

Q: I am trying to view and print a recent order but cannot find it in FileNet.  As an eForms participant, shouldn't I have access to that document?

A: If the documents are scanned or uploaded into FileNet, you should be able to view and print them. An order could be sent out or entered in EAMS before it has been put into FileNet. If you see an order recorded in the events screen, but you did not receive it and cannot find it in FileNet, you will need to follow up with the judge's secretary.

Q: If I am working on an eForm how much time do I have before EAMS will kick me out and I will have to start over?

A: Yes, users can get timed out of EAMS and eForms. If you are not actively working in EAMS you will be timed out after 15 minutes. If you are working on an eForm, which opens in a separate tab or window, the inactive timeout for this screen is set for 30 minutes. After 15 minutes of inactivity in EAMS the main system may log you out, but it will not remove the eForm you were working on.

You will receive a warning message before being timed out of EAMS, but it will not show on the eForm screen.

Q: How do I edit information that was submitted incorrectly on the application? 

A: To correct information in EAMS please submit an Amended Application for Adjudication or a signed Typed or Written Letter, which will trigger a task for a clerk at the district office to key in the information and make the corrections.

Q: When a case has multiple employers and insurers but the eForm only has space for one of each, how would the others be added?

A: An attachment (such as a Word document) would be created listing the additional parties and would be uploaded as an attachment to the eForm. DWC staff will then enter the additional case participants manually in EAMS.

Q: We use eForms to file but were not able to bring up one of our cases in EAMS. When we search for the case number we get a message stating "No case could be found". We were also unsuccessful in trying to search by the legacy case number.

A: Check to see if you are using the correct case number without spaces or special characters. Or it may be that you are not yet a party to that case. If you are not a case participant, you cannot access that case in EAMS. If you should be a case participant based on documents filed, please contact the eForms Unit and they will add you to the case participant list.

Q: I do not see a specific eForm for Notice of Representation or Substitution of Attorney in the eForms list. What type of document would I file?

A: If you do not see your document name in the list of set eForms in EAMS then you will need to create the document and use the correct document title when uploading it via the Unstructured eForm. For the Unstructured eForm Case type: ADJ; Document Type: LEGAL DOCS; Document Title: NOTICE OF REPRESENTATION (ADJ-LEGAL-NOTICE OF REPRESENTATION) or SUBSTITUTION OF ATTORNEY (ADJ-LEGAL-SUBSTITUTION OF ATTORNEY).

Q: We submitted our Notice of Representation or Substitution of Attorneys two weeks ago, but we are still not able to access or view the file.

A: Filing a NOR or SOA will assign a task at the district office to add you as a case participant so that you will have access to the case and its documents. The time that may be required for the task to be completed depends upon the workload at that district office location. Please wait 10 days before contacting the district office to check on the status of your NOR or SOA filing.

Q: If we have one injured worker with several cases, do we need to file a separate Notice of Representation or Substitution of Attorneys for each case?

A: No. You may submit your NOR or SOA for all linked cases for an injured worker. Please remember to list all the case numbers involved for that injured worker on both the NOR or SOA that you have drafted and in the companion case section of the Unstructured eForm. This will ensure that your notice is filed in each case.

Q: If we send correspondence to a judge via the Unstructured eForm, will the judge see it or know to look for it?

A: Choosing the document title “Typed or Written Letter” when submitting your correspondence will generate a task for the district office to make the judge aware of the filing and the need for a response. Choosing “Correspondence-Other” will not generate a task for review.

If you are filing multiple correspondence documents in one batch for an Unstructured eForm please use “Typed or Written Letter” for the first document and “Correspondence-Other” for the rest of the documents so that multiple tasks are not generated. 

Q: We were told documents which are to be filed as attachments to eForms, should be in a PDF format. Can we use 'TIFF' (Tagged Image File Format) instead?

A: Yes, although the preferred format for eForm attachments is PDF. Other acceptable formats are Word, TIFF, PDF or Excel.

Q: Do I still need to serve the other parties with copies of the eForms and documents I filed electronically through EAMS?

A: Yes. Parties are required by law to serve on all other parties, all documents and forms filed with the DWC district office. You can print the eForms for service on the other parties by using the PDF print function at the top of the eForm.

Q: We have a C&R that we would like to walk through. Should we e-file the fully executed document in advance before going to the district office for a walk-through?

A: Yes. But before you go to the district office you must first verify that these documents are in FileNet before appearing for the walk through at the district office. If your settlement documents are not in FileNet the district office will send you back to the UDQ Operator to see where your batch is.

Q: I thought the stipulations with request for award and the compromise and release were considered case opening documents. I was told that I would need to file an application and get a case number before I could do a walkthrough for either type of settlement. Why is an application necessary?

A: The Application for Adjudication is not necessary if you are filing settlement documents to open the case unless you want to have the ADJ number assigned before you file your settlement documents. As long as the “Is this a new case” button is chosen on the eForm coversheet of the settlement document that you have e-filed, EAMS will open the case and generate an ADJ number.

DWC has added the walk-through radio buttons on the coversheets for all case opening documents, including settlement documents. You can e-file the settlement document and request a walk through by clicking the “walk through” button at the top right of the eForm cover sheet. Once you have confirmed that the documents are in EAMS, you can appear the next day before the assigned walk through WCJ.

Q: I am trying to file an application for a deceased employee, but I cannot find the application for a death claim listed in the eForms. Should I use the legacy version?

A: Yes. If the case is already opened please use the legacy version of the form and submit it as an attachment to the Unstructured eForm. You may also attach the death application to the eForms application but please do add “death app” to box 2 on Form 4 when e-filing the eForm Application for Adjudication so the district office staff know to look for it in FileNet.

Q: I am e-filing a DOR but when I try to search for a date I get an error message. Can someone help?

A: There are a variety of error messages that can appear when filing a DOR, please see some of the selected error messages below.

“No suitable slot availability could be determined.” You will get this message due to a conflict in the court calendar that needs to be cleared.

“Scheduling this hearing will result in a case owner change.” You will get the error message above when you try to select a hearing date that is slotted with a different judge as the original judge does not have any hearing slots available

“There is currently a hearing scheduled.” You will get this error message when the district office has not yet completed the previous hearing.

“A hearing can only be scheduled if the appeal is active or approved." You will get this error message when the case is inactive or closed.

If you receive any of these messages, please email the EAMSHELPDESK@dir.ca.gov so they can research the cause and then advise you how to best proceed. Be sure to include all necessary information such as the ADJ(s), IW name, etc.

“This case is Archived.” Please contact EFORMS@dir.ca.gov with the injured worker's name and case number with "ARCHIVED CASE" in the subject line so they may unarchive it for you.

Q: How do we request a continuance on a hearing that is currently scheduled?

A: First you will e-file the Request for Continuance. Then, search for the ADJ number, then click on "External User Request for Action" and fill out the information for requesting a continuance. This will take you back to the adjudication product delivery home page and EAMS will create a task for the judge's secretary to submit to the judge.

Q: Our firm has three offices using eForms for electronic filing, each with its own username and password. Since we sometimes cover for attorneys in our other offices, I was wondering if we are allowed to e-file for the other offices within our firm.

A: You cannot use the same login for all office locations as this would be a violation of your eForms agreement. Usernames, passwords and Uniform Assigned Names (UANs) are assigned to one office location only and are linked to that location's UAN in the ADJs they are a party to. However, if you are using a central location to e-file, you can log in as that location with its specific login credentials and file your paperwork into the cases linked to that location. 

Q: We realized this morning that two people from our office had inadvertently logged into EAMS at the same time. Neither of us received an error message, can we also submit an eForm at the same time?

A: No. While many users can be logged in at the same time to search and download documents, if both of you attempt to e-file at the same time the attempted eForm filings are likely to fail. You should only have one eForm open at a time.

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September 2022