♦ ♦ ♦ STYLE GUIDE ♦ ♦ ♦

How to Guide

• Introduction

• Adding Debtors

• Adding Creditors

• Adding Parties

• Adding Plaintiffs and Defendants

• Creditor Matrix Specifications

• Geographic Directions

• PDF File Specifications

• Proposed Order Specifications

• Searching Parties

• Special Characters

• States and Territories

• Street Designators

• Style Conventions for Addresses

• Style Conventions for Docket Text

• Style Conventions for Names

Introduction

This section of the ECF User's Manual contains the preferred style practices for all users of the ECF application in the Northern District of Texas. The intention of this section is to make everyone's task easier, whether they are entering data or inquiring into the ECF database. The application of a common set of styles when creating docket entries results in information being captured and displayed in more uniform and predictable ways, thus reducing confusion and errors. In addition, style consistency is the key to efficient searches in ECF, since successful queries require very exact matches on search data including punctuation, abbreviations and upper or lower case.

You will find instructions and examples of how to add parties, style conventions for street names and addresses, creditor matrix specifications, PDF file specifications, and how to format your proposed orders.

Just click on any topic of this manual to learn more about the Court's style requirements.

Adding Debtors

Add debtors to cases using names and addresses exactly as they appear on the petition or complaint.

In most cases, you will NOT find debtors or joint debtors when you search the ECF database. You will have to add them to the database and the case as a new party.

Special characters should NOT be used when adding creditors, parties, aliases, and/or attorneys.

Title Tips

1. If a debtor has a title, add the title in the "party text" box.

2. Any title that you add as party text will show up on the face of the docket report following the name and separated by a comma.

3. The name of the debtor without the title will appear in docket text.

4. Titles will not appear on notices.

5. Titles will appear on the face of the docket report in upper and lower case following the debtor name as shown below:

• John Doe, Administrator of the Estate of Jane Doe

• ABC Rental, a Texas Corporation

• Catherine V. Ruiz, Official Administrator of Lottery Winnings

Social Security Number and/Or Tax ID

Make an entry in the SSN box or the Tax ID box even if the social security number for an individual debtor or tax identification number for a business debtor is unknown.

• SSN: 000-00-0000

• Tax ID: 00-0000000

Adding Creditor Parties

The proliferation of different names for the same creditor party makes searching frustrating and time consuming.

Add creditors to cases using names already in the ECF database if at all possible.

When you search for a creditor, you will probably find the party in the ECF database. Creditors (such as Ford Motor Credit) are added to many different cases. Ideally, there should be only one Ford Motor Credit party in the ECF database. This greatly simplifies searching when adding parties and querying cases. For instance, it is better to add Ford Motor Credit to all cases even if that is not the exact name used on a document being docketed. The idea is to avoid adding name variations for a single creditor. For example:

• Ford Motor Credit

• Ford Motor Credit Company

• Ford Motor Credit Co.

• Ford Motor Credit Corporation

• Ford Motor Credit Company, Inc.

• Ford Motor Company

• Ford Motor Credit Corp.

• Ford Motors Credit Company

• Ford Motor Credit Company ("FMCC")

Do NOT add mailing addresses for creditors.  If you find a creditor in ECF with an address, delete the address fields before accepting the Party Information screen.

Do NOT add a title for creditors. Make sure to select the creditor party role.

Special characters should NOT be used when adding creditors, parties, aliases, and/or attorneys.

Adding Other Parties

When adding any new parties to the ECF Database, the names should conform with standard punctuation and spacing conventions listed in the Style Conventions for Names section of this guide. Much of case opening in ECF consists of adding the names of debtors, joint debtors, plaintiffs and defendants to cases. As cases progress, creditors and other parties are added. Access to this information is vital to the court, the bar and the general public.

Special characters should NOT be used when adding creditors, parties, aliases, and/or attorneys.

Adding Plaintiffs and Defendants

Add plaintiffs and defendants to cases using names exactly as they appear on the complaint.

When you search for plaintiffs and defendants, you will probably find them in the database.

• Do NOT add any addresses for plaintiffs or defendants (only if pro se)*

• Do NOT add a title for plaintiffs or defendants

Make sure to select the plaintiff or defendant party role. If you find a plaintiff or defendant in ECF with an address, delete the address fields before accepting the Party information screen.

Special characters should NOT be used when adding creditors, parties, aliases, and/or attorneys.

Creditor Matrix Specifications

All creditor matrix files must be provided to the court as an ASCII DOS text (.txt) file.  The following list contains instructions on how to format your matrix for upload.  If your matrix is not in the correct format, your upload into ECF will be unsuccessful.

1. Use upper and lower case characters using 12 point, Times New Roman font.  Bold type should not be used.

2. Typed in a single column using a 1 inch margin for the entire document, with left justification.

3. Typed with no more than nine creditors per page.  Each creditor listing must consist of no more than five lines total for each creditor, with at least two blank lines between creditor listing.  Titles such as Dr., Mrs., etc., should not be used.  Do not include ‘notice only” as part of the address.

4. Each line of the creditor listing should be no more than 40 characters in length including spaces.  The attention line or last four digits of account number, if any, must appear only on the second line of the block.  The city, state and zip code must be on the last line.  Use the two letter state abbreviation in capital letters only, e.g. TX.  Nine digit zip codes should be separated by a hyphen.

5. Do not include header, footers, or page numbers, etc.

6. Special characters (! @ #, etc.) should not be used when submitting creditors.

7. Submit the matrix in .TXT format on CD, 3.5” diskette, or flash drive.

The creditor mailing list (matrix), if filed electronically, must be submitted in the same format as above.  However, the court does not require a CD, 3.5” diskette, or thumb drive if filed electronically.

EXAMPLES:

ABC Creditor

123 Main St.

Dallas, TX 75242

XYZ Creditor

c/o Attorney

911 Emergency Ave.

Dallas, TX 75202

Geographic Directions

Use the following abbreviations for geographic directions.

PDF File Specifications

All files associated with a docket entry in ECF should be in Portable Document Format (PDF). Any supporting attachments, such as a loan document, should also be submitted to the system as a PDF according to the following guidelines.

The only files submitted in a different format than PDF is the Creditor Matrix and Proposed Orders.

The Creditor Matrix should be submitted in ASCII DOS text format (.txt). Proposed Orders should be submitted in WordPerfect (.wpd) or Word (.doc) format.  

All pleadings submitted to the ECF system as a PDF should be styled and formatted just as if you were going to print the document and file it with the Court in paper form.

Provided below are some general guidelines to follow when creating documents to be submitted in ECF.

1. Margins (top, bottom, left, right) should be at least one (1) inch.

2. Page size should be 8.5" x 11".

3. Use a font style that is legible. The preferred font style is Times New Roman.

4. The font color of the text should be black. Avoid using colored fonts such as red, yellow, green, or blue. No shading. Again, you want the text to be legible.

5. Font size should be no smaller than 10, and no larger than 12. 6.

6. Do NOT include .jpg, .tif, .bmp, or .gif images in your PDF file.

7. All pages should be numbered. The preferred format is 1 of 3, 2 of 3, etc.

8. When filing a new case, the Petition, Schedules, Summary of Schedules (if filed simultaneously), Statement of Financial Affairs, and Verification of Mailing Matrix should be included in a "primary" PDF document in that order. These should not be docketed separately. Declarations to the Petition, Statements and Schedules must be mailed to the court in paper format.  Declarations MUST NOT be filed electronically.  See the court's Administrative Procedures for more information on filing Declarations.

NOTE: The Creditor Matrix Text file should be uploaded separately.  The Plan and Authorization for Pre-confirmation Disbursement should be docketed separately as one PDF.

9. No single PDF file, whether containing a document or an attachment, may exceed forty (40) pages in length.  Documents and/0r attachments in excess of forty pages must be divided into multiple PDF files and accurately described to the authorizing court.  If a document together with any attachments thereto, exceeds one hundred (100) pages in length, please call the court for guidance prior to filing such document by electronic means.

10. When creating a PDF using your scanner, choose the lowest possible resolution (200 dpi) to reduce submitting unnecessarily large PDF files to the ECF system.

11. Print the Word or WordPerfect file using the PDF Writer print driver rather than using the functionality provided in the word processor. The PDF Writer creates a smaller file to upload.

Proposed Order Specification

Follow the guidelines listed below when preparing and submitting proposed orders.  If our office receives an order that is not formatted as specified below, a member of the judge's staff will attempt to contact you by phone or email to explain the problem. Please be aware that the court may reject orders not submitted in proper format. If an attorney repeatedly submits improperly formatted orders, the court will reject the orders.

1. The FIRST page of orders submitted electronically through ECF should contain 4 inches of space at the TOP of the document.

2. Do NOT include a line for the judge's signature or a line for the date.

3. Use a font that is legible. The preferred font style is Times New Roman.

4. The font color of the text should be black. Avoid using colored fonts such as red, yellow, green, or blue. Again, you want the text to be legible.

5. Font size should be no smaller than 10 and no larger than 12.

6. All pages should be numbered. The preferred page numbering format is 1 of 10, 2 of 10, 3 of 10, etc.

7. If you are submitting a proposed order electronically through ECF, you should submit the document in WordPerfect, or Word format. Documents in PDF format will not be accepted by the system.

8. The LAST LINE in the order must contain the text "# # # End of Order # # #" centered in the middle of the page to indicate the order is completed.

9. Signatures of each party entering into an agreed order should be represented with a /s/ followed by the typed name of the party.

10. DO NOT provide a signature line for the judge.

11. If an exhibit is referenced within an order the exhibit should be part of the order and follow the ###End of Order### annotation.

12. If an exhibit is referenced within an order and the exhibit is not available in word processing format it should either be submitted when the motion is filed as an exhibit to the motion in PDF format or introduced at the hearing to be made part of the formal proceedings.

Searching Parties

The first thing you want to do when looking for a party in ECF is search the ECF database for the party you want to add to a case.

Before adding any party to a case, search for that party using appropriate "search strategies". If the system finds the correct name, select it to help eliminate different versions of the same party name. Even something as simple as "United States" can cause ambiguity if it is entered in different forms. Following this style guide can help avoid "United States" being in the database also as "UNITED STATES", "U.S.", "US", "USA", "U.S.A.", or "U.S. of A.", for instance.

When searching for debtors, the more search clues you provide, the more likely you are to find the exact party you are searching for. For example, if you search for a last name of Grant, ECF may return a list of a hundred parties with that last name. However, ECF will return a single party, or indicate there is no match for that criteria, if you search for a last name of Grant with a Social Security number of 333-22-1111.

When searching for creditors, it may be necessary to conduct multiple searches. First, search for the entire creditor name (e.g., World Communications). If that is not successful, you can search for part of the creditor's name (e.g., World Comm or just World). If there are articles in the title such as "A" or "The," you may or may not need to include the article in the search. For example, a search request for The Timely Times may not produce a result. But a search request for Timely Times will be successful.

An unsuccessful search for A. & A. Metals might be successful if you search without punctuation (i.e., A & A Metals).

NOTE:  If the party is not found, ensure the party is involved in a Northern District of Texas bankruptcy case. Logging into the Northern District of Texas' ECF application only provides case information regarding cases filed in this District. Also, if the case is several years old, it has probably been archived.

Special Characters

Special characters should NOT be used when adding creditors, parties, aliases, and/or attorneys.

States and Territories

The following list provides the proper format for abbreviating states and territories.  Follow these specifications when entering states and territories into the ECF application.

Street Designators

In general, it is best to type out the entire name of the street designator. If there is a necessity to abbreviate, use the following abbreviations.

Style Conventions for Addresses

These style conventions apply to all debtor addresses and creditor matrix addresses entered in the ECF application.

1. Abbreviate post office addresses without a space between the P and O.

P.O. Box 1359

P.O. Drawer 34321

2. Use digits for numbers in addresses.

3224 East 26th Street

425 6th Street

1 Valley Plaza

3. When there is a street address as well as a post office box address for a debtor, add only the post office address.

John J. Johnson

P. O. Box 1477  

4218 Elmwood Lane (Elimate this line)  

Bentonville, AR 40453  

4. When needed, use the second and/or third line of the address for building name, suite number, floor, firm name, or attention.

Arthur Andersen and Associates  

Attention: Terri Brooks

John Hancock Building, Suite 2600  

8723 Michigan Avenue

Chicago, IL 60604  

The city, state and zip must be the only information on the last address line. Use the full ten digit zip code if at all possible.

5. Foreign addresses must have the full name of the post office and country of destination printed in capital letters. The country name or APO destination must be the only information on the bottom line of the address.

Alfonso Diaz  

Rio de Danubec y Rio Florido  

CD. JUAREZ, CHIHUAHUA

MEXICO No.1050  

Sgt. John Smith

C Company 237 Armor

Unit No. 21103, Box 512  

APO AE 09014  

6. If the address contains an apartment number or suite number, you may use No. in place of the word number or suite.

Barbara Bixby

322 West Shady Lane, No. 334  

Dallas, TX 75242

7. Use CO to indicate "In Care Of".

John Joseph, Jr.

CO John Joseph, Sr.

6612 East 10th Street  

Ft. Worth, TX 76102  

8. The preferred format for telephone numbers is (214) 555-3851.

9. Special characters should NOT be used when adding creditors, parties, aliases, and/or attorneys.

Style Conventions for Docket Text

The ECF application has been designed to produce a consistent form of docket text. Most of the time you will not need to change docket text in any way when you are creating docket entries. If you must alter docket text to add meaning or clarification to the court record, use the preferred practices to enhance docket text contained in the Negative Notice Language, Contested Matter Text, Descriptions of Linked Documents, and/or Multiple-Part Contested Matter Text sections of this guide.

1. Negative Notice Language

Users will not need to add objection language to motions filed in ECF. The system automatically sets a deadline for objections depending on the motion filed. The system allows you to change the objection date if you desire. The court has identified those motions which may be filed with negative language. The final docket text will display if an objection is due, and the deadline for objections. For these motions, a hearing will only be held if an objection is filed.

NOTE:  It is still necessary to add objection language to the imaged pleading you are filing if applicable.

2. Contested Matter Text

Docket text should reflect the style of a contested matter as much as practically possible. Sometimes the ECF event you use to docket a contested matter will display a text box for you to further describe the pleading you are filing. There is more than enough room in the displayed text boxes to add any text you feel is necessary. You are able to review whatever docket text you add before you accept the final docket entry. You can go back by clicking the browser [Back] button to add or correct text.

3. Descriptions of Linked Documents

If a docket entry has been linked to another docket entry, the document "linked to" should be adequately described in docket text. When you docket an entry which references ("links to") another docket entry, the docket text automatically displays the description of the document that has been referenced.

Style Conventions for Names

These style conventions apply to all names entered in the ECF application.

1. Use upper and lower case for all names and capitalize the first letter in a proper noun.

• Wallace D. Smith

• United Services Fidelity and Guaranty

2. Use punctuation and single spacing between all names and following initials and periods.

• J. J. Jones

• Smith, Inc.

• C. W. Bradford, Ltd.

3. When typing names that have upper and lower case letters or hyphens, do not insert spaces.

• Patricia DeLaGarza

• Patrick MacDougal

• Kathleen O'Brien

• Mary Smith-Baker

4. If an individual does not have a middle name, leave that field blank. Do not enter "NMI" (no middle initial).

5. If a party has multiple names such as Robert Kramer Johns Martin, add the extra names in the Middle Name box.

• Last name: Martin

• Middle name: Kramer Johns

• First name: Robert

6. Business names should be entered entirely in the Last Name box.

• Do NOT use the First Name or Middle Name box when entering business names.

• Do NOT use the ampersand sign (&) for "and". Use the word and instead of the ampersand.

7. Avoid abbreviations unless it is part of a company name on the petition or pleading.

• Ford Motor Company instead of Ford Motor Co.

• First Federal Association instead of 1st Federal Assoc.

• Enter U.S. and U.S.A. without any spaces.

• U.S. Department of Agriculture

• U.S. Trustee

• U.S. Attorney

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

• U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

8. Special characters should NOT be used when adding creditors, parties, aliases, and/or attorneys.

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[Last Revision 10/17/07]