Guidance for Assembling the Documents Used to Initiate an Appeal via E-Filing.

Beginning September 1, 2018 all appellate cases in Indiana must be initiated via e-filing. Here's part of the information you need to prepare for that:

When you are assembling a Notice of Appeal or Motion for Interlocutory Appeal, there are several documents that should be combined into a single PDF file to initiate the appeal. They are:

1. The Notice of Appeal or Motion for Interlocutory Appeal.
2. A copy of the judgment or order being appealed.
3. If you are a public defender, your proof of appointment.
4. If this is an interlocutory appeal, a copy of the order accepting jurisdiction.
5. Any other required documents.

Number 5 sounds a bit open-ended, but the underlying concept here is simply that every document that you would be required to file when initiating the appeal conventionally should be combined into a single PDF file when e-filing. This will then be filed as a single lead document. This differs significantly from the process for trial courts, where each document must be a separate PDF file.

From a practical standpoint, this means that if you don't already have software for editing PDF files, it's time to purchase something so you can assemble documents from multiple sources into a single PDF file. We've been working with attorneys who are assembling PDF files for a couple of years now, and here are the PDF editors we've heard good things about:

• Adobe Acrobat Pro
• Foxit PDF
• Nitro PDF
• Nuance Power PDF (Standard or Pro)

Keep an eye out for an upcoming post regarding how to handle electronic service for your notice of appeal.