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How to Look Up a Case and Subscribe to Notifications

PortalsPublished 6 min read

Use Case Lookup on your agency's portal to find a case by its number and review the events associated with it. When the agency allows subscriptions, you can follow the case to receive notifications about its events.

Overview​

Case Lookup searches the records the agency makes available through its portal. Each result shows the case number, available case details, and associated events. The agency decides whether you must sign in, which cases appear, and whether you can subscribe.

Subscribe to Notifications follows the case number and its associated events. To follow only one event instead, use How to Subscribe to an Event.

Prerequisites​

  • The agency's portal address or direct Case Lookup link
  • The case number you want to find
  • Client login if the agency restricts lookup or subscriptions to signed-in clients
  • Your first and last names, a valid phone number, and an email address if you subscribe without signing in

How-To Steps​

Look Up a Case​

  1. Open the agency's portal.
  2. Click its Case Lookup link, or open the direct lookup address supplied by the agency, usually the portal address followed by /search.
  3. Sign in if the agency requires it.
  4. Select an Agency first if you are using a unified portal that asks which agency to search.
  5. Enter the case number in Case Number.
  6. Select an Agency or Location filter if those filters are offered and you want to narrow the results.
  7. Click Search.
  8. Review the matching case number and the events listed below it.

Some portals accept part of a case number; others require the complete number. A unified portal's /case-search page searches the member agency you select. An Agency filter on the ordinary /search page narrows that portal's own records.

Subscribe Without Signing In​

  1. Click Subscribe to Notifications on the matching case.
  2. Enter your First Name.
  3. Enter your Last Name.
  4. Select your Party Type if the agency offers that field.
  5. Enter your Phone number.
  6. Enter your Email Address.
  7. Click Subscribe.
  8. Check for the success message confirming your case subscription.

Both phone and email are required on this case-subscription form. Correct any message shown below a field before trying again.

Subscribe While Signed In​

  1. Sign in to the portal using your client contact information.
  2. Search for the case.
  3. Click Subscribe to Notifications on the matching result.
  4. Select your Party Type if prompted.
  5. Click Continue if the party-type selector appears.

When no party-type selection is needed, clicking Subscribe to Notifications submits the subscription immediately. A successful subscription changes the button to Unsubscribe from Notifications.

Stop Following a Case​

  1. Sign in to the portal.
  2. Search for the case you already follow.
  3. Click Unsubscribe from Notifications on the matching result.

If your dashboard shows Cases you follow, you can also click Unsubscribe beside a case there. If you cannot sign in or locate the subscription, contact the agency and ask it to remove your case subscription.

What to Expect​

A successful case subscription saves your choice and sends a confirmation through the agency's messaging system. Delivery depends on your contact settings. Case notifications are scheduled reminders about associated events; subscribing does not mean every staff edit produces an immediate message.

Lookup returns up to 10 cases and up to 10 events per case. Available event details can include the date, time, type, status, reference, judge, and location notes. Enter more of the case number when a broad search does not show the case you need.

Submitting the public subscription form again with contact details that already follow the same case does not create another subscription or send another confirmation. Unsubscribing from the case leaves your client record and other subscriptions in place.

Best Practices​

  • Confirm the complete case number before subscribing, especially when several results appear.
  • Use contact details you can receive messages at and keep them current with the agency.
  • Choose the Party Type that describes your relationship to the case.
  • Use the case subscription for its associated events and the event subscription when you only want one event.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Do I have to sign in to search or subscribe?

The agency controls those requirements separately. It may allow public lookup while requiring sign-in for subscriptions, or allow both without signing in.

Can I search by a person's name?

Case Lookup searches case numbers. Ask the agency for the correct case number if you do not have it.

Why am I asked for a Party Type?

The agency uses that selection to record your relationship to the case, such as attorney, victim, or defendant. Choose from the options the agency provides.

Is following a case the same as adding a calendar to my calendar app?

No. A case subscription registers you for case-related notifications. A calendar subscription adds an event feed to a calendar app and is covered in How to Share Event Calendars.

Why is Cases you follow missing from my dashboard?

The agency controls which dashboard cards appear. You can still unsubscribe from a matching lookup result while signed in, or ask the agency to remove the subscription.

Troubleshooting​

The search returns no results.

Symptoms: Your case number does not produce a matching case.

Solution: Enter the full case number, including its punctuation, and clear optional filters. On a unified portal, confirm the selected Agency. Contact the agency if the case is still missing because it may be excluded from public lookup.

The subscription form rejects your details.

Symptoms: An error appears below Phone, Email Address, or Party Type.

Solution: Enter a valid phone number and email address and select one of the offered party types. Use contact details the agency accepts; the portal can reject invalid or unsupported contacts.

Subscribing fails even though you can search.

Symptoms: Subscribe to Notifications returns an error instead of a success message.

Solution: Sign in if the agency requires private subscriptions. If the problem continues, ask the agency to check subscription access for its portal and confirm that the case is still available.

You subscribed but received no message.

Symptoms: The portal confirms the subscription, but no confirmation or reminder arrives.

Solution: Check your email spam folder and the contact details you provided. Ask the agency to review your contact opt-in and notification settings and confirm that the case has an event scheduled for a reminder.