united-states court
Is filing a legal document more than once a bad or a good idea?
<p>I will be filing a bankruptcy petition in the united states <em>pro se</em>.</p>
<p>I have instructions for filing electronically via PACER, which indicate forms do not need to be signed as the user account used to submit takes the place of a signature: <a href="https://pacer.uscourts.gov/help/faqs/how-will-signature-documents-be-handled-documents-filed-electronically?page=9" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://pacer.uscourts.gov/help/faqs/how-will-signature-documents-be-handled-documents-filed-electronically?page=9</a></p>
<p>I also see temporary instructions for filing via email due to COVID, which states &quot;<em>You must sign your document by either signing the document before you scan it or typing “/s/ [Your Name].” The Court will accept typed signatures in this format.</em>&quot;</p>
<p>In this case, would it be a problem to file both ways, or would there be no point and would it cause problems?</p>
<p>If filing electronically does a physical copy signed in ink still need to be mailed or filed in person, or would that also just cause confusion?</p>

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<p>would it be a problem to file both ways, or would there be no point and would it cause problems?</p>
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<p>File only once. Duplicate filing is likely to cause recurrent confusion and annoyance because everyone else will be uncertain as to whether both filings differ on anything other than the signature.</p>
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<p>If filing electronically does a physical copy signed in ink still need to be mailed or filed in person, or would that also just cause confusion?</p>
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<p>Filing electronically precludes the need for filing a physical copy. Even if filing a physical copy is allowed, it would impose on the clerk the needless burden of scanning and processing the physical copy.</p>
