FAQ

Q: When I get an email regarding an available hearing in my area, and I log in, the hearing is no longer available. Why is that?
A: Our system is based on a "first-come, first-served" philosophy. All attorneys get the "hearing available" email at the same time. The attorney who reads the email, logs in and selects the hearing first - is slotted for the appearance. Sometimes, our network attorneys who are in court often are put at a distinct disadvantage. In response, our software engineers developed a mobile app that allows network attorneys to view and select hearings on the go, from their supported smartphone. 

Q: Why are there no hearings in my area?
A: We are working very hard to bring on more clients, with higher volume - which means more hearings in more geographic areas! Please stay tuned. If you know of a prospective client who could benefit from our services (and your representation) please contact Mike in Business Development at (800) 910-1492, ext. 723 or mike@docketly.com. You may also want to review how or whether your local courts are affected by closures or delays relating to the COVID-19 pandemic or other factors such as poor weather, construction, etc.

Q: How do I change or add the counties that I get notified about available hearings for?
A: For this, you will want to navigate over to the “More” tab on the left hand side of your screen and then click on “Applications.” You will then scroll to the bottom of that screen to where it says “Email Notifications.” There you will be able to select/remove the counties of your choosing. You can find more detailed instructions and visuals on how to do this here.

Q: How do I withdraw an appearance?
A: It is our policy, and our clients', that once an attorney agrees to accept a hearing, that attorney is obligated to appear and take the appropriate actions at that particular hearing. However, there are certain circumstances in which we will agree to delete your appearance and put the hearing back on the website for selection by another attorney. They include accidental selection, unforeseen party or ethical conflicts or family emergencies. If you would like to request your withdrawal of appearance, please contact us at (800) 910-1492, ext 2, or support@docketly.com.

Q: How and when do I get paid for my services?
A: This will depend on the payment method of which you choose to be compensated. Unlike some other local counsel services, we pay our attorneys, via check sent to the attorney's registered address, at the end of the month when your hearing was scheduled. We do not wait to get reimbursed by our client, so there is no waiting 60, 90 or even 120 days. If you opt for ACH payments, you can expect to receive payment around one week after the hearing date. You can find more details about your payments here.

Q: How do I change my password?
A: You can change your password by clicking on the grey "Profile" button in the black toolbar at the top of your screen. Scroll down to the Change Password section and enter your new password twice. Then click the red "Save" button at the bottom of the screen. You can see more detailed instructions with visuals here.

Q: Can I get paid via direct deposit?
A: Yes, review the Payments portion of the Handbook for more information.

Q: Can I contract with you at a certain rate?
A: We don't promise rates to anyone. If another attorney says they always get $X from Docketly. Not true. There are no special deals. Level playing field.

Q: Can I contract with you to cover a certain county exclusively?
A: We don't do contracts with attorneys. Like "you are our guy in this county" forever. Nope. It is a game, a contest. You have to keep covering to keep your position. We do it to be fair and honest. Work hard and you can win. Nobody is going to come in and take your spot because we like them better or they know someone.

Q: Does the number of clients affect the price of a bundle of hearings?
A: No. We treat all clients the same. Whether it is a docket of 10 hearings from 1 client or a docket of 1 hearing each from 10 different clients, it is still 10 hearings and will be priced the same. The number of clients does not matter.

Q: Does the timeframe of the hearing posted affect the price of a bundle of hearings?
A: No. We ignore time in bundling. Whether you give us 10 hearings all at once or give us 1 hearing a day for 10 days, we will bundle them at the same price at the finish.

Q: How do I get reimbursed for expenses occurred for a hearing?
A: You may submit an expense for court or mediation fees. In accordance with our Terms of Use Docketly does not reimburse for printing, parking, tolls, or gas. Please review this “Submitting Expenses for Reimbursement” article for further details.

Q: Can I link my Docketly calendar to my Outlook/Gmail calendar?
A: You sure can! Click here for instructions and visuals on how to do that.

Q: I’m gong to be late! What do I do?
A: If you are going to be late, please contact us IMMEDIATELY via phone at 800-910-1492 and let us know the circumstances.  If you are calling outside of normal business hours and not able to connect with a Docketly team member, you must submit an urgent support ticket.  This allows us to reach out to the client and attempt to see what actions can be taken to save the appearance. Feel free to review our Late Policy and Procedure handbook article for more details.

Q: I hear other Docketly attorneys talking about points. What is it and how does that work?
A: We decided that attorneys would be rewarded based on their performance with us.  We wanted better performing attorneys to get more hearings.  A simple solution to a complex problem.  As an attorney completes hearings for us, we give them reward points.   Aside from the obvious money-in-your-pocket gain in covering more hearings, the more hearings you cover the more reward points you build up.  "But what's the point of the points?" you may ask. Good question! As you gain points, you gain levels within the network, which translates into (as briefly mentioned before) preferential treatment like advanced notice of hearings created, and of course, bragging rights among your peers. Click here to learn more about our Rewards/Points system.

Q: I accepted additional hearings and my cost per hearing has decreased. Why is that?
A: When you are covering hearings at at the same time at the same court, your one trip to the court will result in an overall higher fee even if the per hearing fee is lower. Most attorneys in our network value the bundles and gobble them up because they understand the value of doing approximately the same amount of work for quite a bit more money. The “Bundled Hearings Pricing” article goes over this in more detail.

Q: How do I get my annual mileage report?
A: You can click this link to get your mileage report - Mileage Report. This report is also available under “Insights” from your home page sidebar. Feel free to also navigate over to the handbook article about the Mileage Report.