Forwarding Notifications

As part of the Notifications section on your Dashboard, the Forward To icon Forward to icon makes it possible, under certain circumstances, to send a copy of a notification to another PACFile user. This function is made possible by the proxy relationships that exist for a notification's direct recipient. For the purposes of this topic, the term direct recipient is used to describe the person or organization that is listed as the "Sent To" on a notification. All notifications have a "Sent To" and this person/organization usually has a direct association to the corresponding case as an attorney or case participant. A proxy recipient, further, is a person who receives notifications based on a proxy relationship with a direct recipient. This includes proxies for both individuals and organizations.

Rules for Forwarding Notifications

When one person forwards an e-mail notification to another, PACFile security prohibits the recipient from accessing the corresponding case information via the link in the e-mail. Limiting access via this manner protects against any improper disclosures of secure case details. Acknowledging that there is some justification for this practice, however, PACFile includes a forwarding function that fits into its security model. The practice of forwarding a notification to another person is safeguarded by the following rules:

  • Notifications can only be forwarded by direct recipients who have at least one proxy or by the proxy of a direct recipient who receives notifications through that proxy relationship.

  • Notifications can only be forwarded to individuals proxying for the direct recipient.

Through the privileges of a proxy relationship, a proxy inherently has the same access to case information as the person/organization who granted them their rights. As a result, it is reasonable to expect that notifications delivered to a direct recipient should be available to share with other individuals in their proxy relationships.

The ability for a proxy to receive notifications through a proxy relationship, as authorized by the granting authority, has no impact on their ability to receive forwarded notifications. For instance, if an individual does not receive any Notice of Court notifications stemming from their proxy relationship, this would not prevent them from being forwarded Notice of Court notifications that others receive from that relationship.

 

 

How to Forward Notifications

1. 

In the Notifications section of your Dashboard, select the checkbox appearing to the left of one or more of the available notifications.

2. 

Click the Forward To icon Forward to icon.

3. 

In the Forward To popup, select the checkbox for one or more of the available names.

Note: Only individuals in a proxy relationship with the direct recipient are available to select. If multiple notifications are being forwarded, the individuals available to select are limited to those who proxy for all the corresponding direct recipients.

4. 

Click OK.

Note: Both an e-mail and a Dashboard notification are sent to the selected recipient(s).

A notification cannot be forwarded to the same recipient more than once. Relatedly, since direct recipients, by nature, always receive all the notifications that are eligible to be forwarded, they cannot be selected as a forward recipient.

 

 

Acting on a Forwarded Notification

The purpose of some notifications, like those in the User Action Required section of the Dashboard, are to motivate the recipient into some form of action. For example, a Filing Requested notification can be sent when the court is asking the recipient to file a specific document (ex. a Docketing Statement). Typically, individuals who are an original recipient of a notification (i.e. did not receive it from forwarding) have the ability to perform the requested action in PACFile.

When a notification is forwarded to a proxy, however, they may not have the authority to act in response. If the court is requesting a filing, and the proxy who was forwarded the notification does not have the right to create filings within the proxy relationship, the proxy cannot perform the requested action in PACFile. In these instances, the notification is merely informational. Forwarding notifications in this situation is acceptable, but the sender and receiver should be aware of its limitations.