Motion to Seal

For general guidance regarding the court's process for sealed documents, click here.

To view a flow chart of the process, click here.

To access the Court's General Order Adopting Procedure for Filing a Document Under Seal Pending Adoption of Local Rule, click here.

The local form, Order Concerning Request to Seal Documents must be attached as a proposed order when filing a Motion to Seal.

STEP 1                   Click BANKRUPTCY (or ADVERSARY) on the blue banner menu

STEP 2                   Click the MOTIONS/APPLICATIONS category

STEP 3                   Enter the case number; click [NEXT]

STEP 4                   Select the SEAL event from the Available Events list; click [NEXT]

STEP 5                   Confirm you are in the correct case by reviewing the case information; click [NEXT]

STEP 6                   Select the Movant or click Add/Create New Party; click [NEXT]

TIP – If you selected Add/Create New Party, a Search screen and a Party Information screen will follow.  You MUST select a Role Type from the drop down menu on the Party Information screen.

TIP – If this is the first time you are appearing in this case on behalf of this party, a message will display, as shown below, indicating that an association will be created between the movant and the filer. Failure to create the association will result in the attorney NOT receiving Notices of Electronic Filing in the case.

STEP 7                   Ensure a check is placed in the association box, click [NEXT]

STEP 8                   A notification will display, as shown below, indicating that the filer must immediately efile the document they wish to seal, upon completion of the Motion event; click [NEXT] to continue

STEP 9              Click BROWSE to upload the Motion; click [NEXT]

TIP – Supporting documents such as a Certificate of Service or Proposed Order should be uploaded as attachments to the Notice of Motion.

IMPORTANT: DO NOT upload the document you wish to seal.

STEP 10                 If the document you wish to seal is related to a previously filed document, e.g., the exhibit relates to the Motion for an Accounting, place a check in the box next to “Refer to an existing event(s)?” Click [NEXT]

STEP 11                 If you placed a check in the box, a list of ECF categories will display. Select the category used to file the previously filed document.

EXAMPLE -  If the previously filed document is a Motion for an Accounting, select motion from the list of categories.

STEP 12.a             Place a check in the box next to the document you wish to relate to, e.g. the motion for an Accounting.

STEP 12.b             A Hearing Information screen displays. Enter a hearing date, time and location; click [NEXT]

TIP – you may click the “Click Here” link to display a list of hearing date for the judge presiding over the case.

STEP 13                Enter the title of the document you wish to seal in the text box shown in below.             

STEP 14                 Click [NEXT] to continue

STEP 15                 Final docket text displays; click [NEXT].

WARNING – Clicking NEXT submits the transaction - confirm that the docket text is correct before doing so. If any part of the docket text is incorrect, you must use the back-button on your browser to return to the screen where the incorrect data was entered to change it.

SAMPLE DOCKET TEXT

Motion to Seal re: Exhibit A to Motion for an Accounting. (RE: related document(s)[3] Motion for Accounting). Filed by John Jones on behalf of Nocturnal Aviation, Inc.. Hearing scheduled for 6/10/2015 at 10:00 AM at CMG - Courtroom 3, Trenton. (Attachments: # (1) Certification # (2) Certificate of Service # (3) Proposed Order) (Jones, John)

STEP 16                 Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF) displays.