Prepare and Attach Documents
Prepare PDFs, choose document slots and classifications, and understand file limits and saved drafts.
Prepare the Files
Prepare and inspect documents before attaching them. Texas's JCIT Technology Standards, section 3.1, call for searchable PDFs, appropriately oriented letter-size pages, and 300-DPI scans. Generate PDFs directly from the source application when possible; use OCR for scanned text. Do not password-protect or encrypt a filing PDF, embed other PDFs inside it, or include executable or multimedia content. Follow the standards and the court's document instructions for the particular submission.
Open the final PDF yourself. Confirm that all pages are present, legible, in order, and properly oriented; check signatures, exhibits, and redactions. Renaming a Word file with a .pdf extension does not convert it. Keep filenames short and simple and preserve the real file extension.
Attach Documents to the Correct Slots
The Documents page displays slots published for the chosen filing code. Each slot indicates whether it is required, which file types it accepts, and whether it accepts one file or multiple files.
- Attach the principal document to the lead slot.
- Add supporting documents or a proposed order to their appropriate slots where offered.
- Check each filename and size.
- Choose the document type for each file when the court requires it.
- Use Replace to correct a file or Remove to take it out of the draft.
Attaching another file to a slot that permits exactly one file replaces the existing selection. Review the filenames after doing so. Slot labels are significant: an attachment is not automatically treated or stamped like a separate lead filing.
The current Referlex website limit is 7.5 MB total across every document and attachment in the envelope. The remaining allowance on the page applies to the whole package, not separately to each file. This is a Referlex upload limit, not a statement of every court's maximum. If the package is too large, reduce file size without making it illegible or consult the court about an appropriate filing arrangement; do not omit required material merely to fit.
Understand Document Type and Sensitive Data
A filing code describes what you are filing. A document type describes a court-defined classification for an individual document. The available types vary by court and code, including classifications concerning sensitive information.
Choose a type that accurately describes the file. A “Contains Sensitive Data” selection does not redact the PDF and should not be treated as a sealing order. If the court requires a type but offers no accurate choice, stop and report the mismatch rather than mislabeling the document.
The review statement allows either properly redacted sensitive data or no sensitive data present. For Texas civil filings, Rule 21c addresses privacy protection, including protected identifiers and information about minors, with specified exceptions and procedures. Check the rules governing your proceeding and any sealing requirements. Referlex does not decide those questions for you.
Apply redactions in the document itself and inspect the saved result. A black shape placed over text may leave the underlying information recoverable. Review attachments as carefully as the lead document. Do not assume a document is private because you are signed in to a private account.
Description and Matter Reference
Filing Description accompanies the documents sent to the clerk. Use a description that accurately identifies the filing; review any prefilled text.
Client/Matter Reference is for your firm's internal tracking in Referlex. It is not the case number and is not sent to the court by this field. Do not place instructions intended for the clerk only in this reference.
Saved Drafts and Reattaching Files
Referlex saves draft information, including document names and selections. In the current website flow, the document files themselves remain in the browser tab's memory until you submit.
Moving between wizard steps in the same tab keeps the attached files available. Reloading, opening the draft in a new tab, closing the tab, or recovering from a browser crash can leave saved document entries without their files. Referlex then asks you to Re-Attach them before submission.
Resume the draft from Filings, return to Documents, and attach the correct final versions. A saved filename does not mean Referlex has a copy of that PDF. Check the filenames and classifications again after reattaching.