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file 1 vb filed, fil·ingvt1 a: to submit (a legal document) to the proper office (as the office of a clerk of court) for keeping on file among the records esp. as a procedural step in a legal transaction or proceedingfiled a tax returna financing statement filed with the Secretary of Statefiling a notice of appeal; also: recordfiled a mortgage in the Registry of Deeds◇ In nearly all cases, a document is deemed to be filed when it is actually received by the office to which it is directed. A few cases, however, have held that a document is filed upon the mailing of it.b: to place (as a document) on file among the records of an office esp. by formally receiving and endorsinga complaint filed by the clerk despite the absence of the filing fee2: to return (the documentation in a case) to the records of a clerk of court without any determination of the case; broadly: to conclude (a case) without a determination on its merits3: to initiate (a judicial or administrative proceeding) by submitting the proper documents or following proper procedure: bringthreatened to file chargestwo separate actions were filed by representatives of the estates — J. H. Friedenthal et al.vi1: to register as a candidate esp. in a primary election2: to place items in a filefile 2 n: a collection of papers or publications usu. arranged or classified; specif: the papers that make up the record of a caseon file: in or as if in a file for ready reference
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.
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I
noun
archive, card index, catalogue, classified index, docket, dossier, entry, folder, information, list, notebook, orderly arrangement of papers, record, record of the court, recorded information, register, registry, report, roll
associated concepts: duly filed, file a brief, file a complaint, file a lien, file a mortgage, file a reply, file a reply brief, file a summons, file papers, filed in open court, filing fee, filing of a claim, reporting act
II
(arrange) verb
align, arrange methodically, array, assign places to, bring into order, catalogue, categorize, class, classify, codify, collocate, coordinate, distribute, fix the order, grade, graduate, group, limare, line up, make orderly, marshal, organize, pigeonhole, place in order, position, put in array, put in order, range, rank, reduce to order, regulate, set in order, set to rights, sort, subdivide, systematize
III
(place among official records) verb
book, calendar, chronicle, deliver an instrument, deposit among records of the court, docket, document, enroll, enter, inscribe, list, place an instrument in a place of deposit, place in official custody of the clerk, place on record, preserve permanently as a public record, put on record, receive an instrument officially, register, store in the archives
associated concepts: docket, filing fee, filing of a deed, filing of a suit, filing of claims, filing of papers, filing of pleadings, late filing, time to file
IV
index
book, classify, defer (put off), distribute, dossier, enroll, enter (record), entry (record), erode, fix (arrange), index (docket), ledger, lineup, organize (arrange), pigeonhole, record (noun), record (verb), register (noun), register (verb), sort, tabulate
Burton's Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006
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n.The documents that comprise a case, including pleadings, motions, briefs, affidavits, and other papers.v.To deposit a document with the court or other proper authority so that it becomes part of the official record.
The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008.
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A term commonly used to describe both the process of submitting a document to a court — for example, "I filed my small claims case today" — and to describe the physical location where these papers are kept. Traditionally, a court's case files were kept indefinitely in one or more cardboard folders. Today most files — especially those for inactive cases — are stored electronically.Category: Accidents & InjuriesCategory: Criminal LawCategory: Representing Yourself in CourtCategory: Small Claims CourtCategory: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits
Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. Gerald N. Hill, Kathleen Thompson Hill. 2009.
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1 n. A court's or a lawyer's record of a case.2 v. The act of submitting a document, generally to a court.
Webster's New World Law Dictionary. Susan Ellis Wild. 2000.
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A record of the court. A paper is said to be filed when it is delivered to the proper officer to be kept on file as a matter of record and reference. But in general the terms file and the files are used loosely to denote the official custody of the court or the place in the offices of a court where the records and papers are kept. The file in a case includes the original complaint and all pleadings and papers belonging thereto.
Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.
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A record of the court. A paper is said to be filed when it is delivered to the proper officer to be kept on file as a matter of record and reference. But in general the terms file and the files are used loosely to denote the official custody of the court or the place in the offices of a court where the records and papers are kept. The file in a case includes the original complaint and all pleadings and papers belonging thereto.II To place a paper in the official custody of the clerk of court/court administrator to enter into the files or records of a case.
Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.
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1) v. to deposit with the clerk of the court a written complaint or petition which is the opening step in a lawsuit and subsequent documents, including an answer, demurrer, motions, petitions and orders. All of these are placed in a case file which has a specific number assigned to it which must be stated on every document. The term is used: "When are you going to file the complaint," or "The answer will be filed tomorrow."2) n. the master folder of a lawsuit kept by the clerk of the court, including all legal pleadings (documents) filed by both sides. Each document in the file must have a stamp showing the date it was received and the name of the clerk who received it. Any document which is filed must be served on the opposing attorney, usually by mail, except that the first paper filed (summons complaint, petition, motion) must be served on all defendants personally (hand delivered by a process server).3) n. the record an attorney keeps on a case, containing all papers deposited with the clerk, as well as all correspondence and notes on the case.
Law dictionary. EdwART. 2013.
