A file number is a unique code assigned to a legal case by the court clerk, which tracks the case as it moves through the courts. The number incorporates case information and is used to identify and retrieve case-related materials.
A file number is a unique identification code used for a legal case. When the case enters the legal system, the clerk of the court where it is filed assigns a registry number and the number will track the case as it moves through the courts. Each court system has its own method of generating file numbers, and different court cases may have numbers of different lengths, with different inclusions, including alphanumeric codes. People familiar with the court system may be able to identify the court where a lawsuit was filed just by looking at its file number.
Most courts use a coding system to generate case numbers, incorporating case information into the number itself. Using numbers and letters, the court can indicate when the case was filed, note the location of the court where it was filed, and provide some information about the nature of the case. The case may also include codes such as “crim”. or “civ.” to indicate whether it is a criminal or civil case. Along with the various identifiers used to provide information about the case, a unique number is assigned to differentiate it from other cases of a similar type filed at the same time.
All case documents are stamped with the registration number. Attorneys involved in the case need to know the number so they can search for materials related to the case. Once the court register is filled in, this number will be referenced in the listing, and case reports entered into the court register will also note the register number. People who wish to cite the case in the future will also typically use this number to avoid confusion with similarly named cases.
Online legal databases provided for attorneys usually have a referral by registry number option, which allows people to enter a number and retrieve all case-related materials. Similarly, archival records at courthouses and other legal settings use these numbers as identifiers to find cases. If someone does not know the record number, a court clerk or archivist may be able to help find it for the purpose of extracting case records.
Cases may also be referred to by the parties involved, as in “Smith v Jones,” and some cases are given nicknames that may be familiar to members of the public, such as the Scopes Monkey Trial in the United States.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
