What to Do If You Get a Non-Conforming Document Notice

Plain-English guide. Not legal advice.

What the notice means

You filed a document with the court. The clerk checked it and found a problem. A document with a problem like this is called a "nonconforming document" (EDCR 8.03). A notice from the clerk does not mean you lost your case. It means something about the paperwork needs to be fixed.

If your document opens a new case or needs a filing fee (for example, a Joint Petition), the clerk reviews it before it is filed, when the clerk approves the filing (NEFCR 9(a)(1), 9(b)(1)).

Common reasons

Under EDCR 8.03, a document can be nonconforming if it:

does not follow the court's page format rules (EDCR 7.20). Examples: wrong paper size, print smaller than 12-point, or missing page or line numbers.
was filed in the wrong case.
is not signed by the person who filed it.
is an order or decree with no judge's signature. Orders go to the judge, not to e-filing.
combines several documents into one document to start a case. Each form should be its own file.
was used to start a case but is not a complaint, petition, or other document that starts a case.
was used to start a case but is missing the right case type or the cover sheet (the Family Court Cover Sheet).

If you are representing yourself

The rule has a special part for people who don't have a lawyer. For most problems, the clerk is supposed to fix the document, replace it with the corrected version where appropriate, and tell you and the other people who get electronic service in your case (EDCR 8.03(e)).

There are two exceptions:

Orders without a judge's signature. The clerk does not file them. The clerk sends them to the judge's department and lets you know (EDCR 8.03(d)). If your notice says you e-filed an order without a judge's signature, you don't need to do anything. The clerk has already sent it to your judge's department. Don't resubmit it or file it under CONFILE.
Why it matters: resubmitting an order the judge already has wastes time and can confuse the department.
To send a proposed order or decree to the judge yourself, email it to your department's submission inbox: dept[letter]inbox@clarkcountycourts.us (for example, Department R is deptrinbox@clarkcountycourts.us). The submission inbox is only for documents that need the judge's review and signature. Do not use it for questions or status checks. If a signed order doesn't show up in your case file after a reasonable time, contact the department using its general phone, email or office hours. These are listed for every department in the Lexly Judicial Signature Lookup, Table A2. Check the department's page on clarkcountycourts.us first in case anything has changed. Do not use the submission inbox for this. The submission inboxes are in Table A.
Documents that can't start a case. If you used the wrong kind of document to open a case, the clerk strikes it, closes the case as filed in error, and returns the filing fee (EDCR 8.03(b)). If your notice says the document couldn't start a case, that case is closed. CONFILE won't fix it. To go forward, open a new case with the right starting document (for example, a complaint or joint petition), the Family Court Cover Sheet and the filing fee.
Why it matters: filing a CONFILE into a closed case goes nowhere; you need to start over in a new case.

If the clerk already fixed it

If your notice is titled Clerk's Notice of Nonconforming Document and Curative Action, the clerk has already fixed the problem: for example, moving your document to the right case, correcting the case type, or separating documents that were combined into one file and filing each one on its own. You don't need to do anything. Don't resubmit, or your documents may be entered twice.

Why it matters: resubmitting after the clerk has fixed it creates duplicate filings you may have to sort out later.

Office observation

This reflects how these notices are typically handled.

This is not what the notice form says. It's what we've seen happen in practice, and your case may be different.

New case number. If the clerk moves your documents into a new case (for example, after correcting your case type), in our experience you may get a new case number. If you do, use that number on everything you file in that case from now on. Why it matters: filing under the old, closed case number can get your next document rejected or misfiled.

Notice of hearing. If the clerk separates combined documents and one of them was a motion, in our experience the clerk may file the motion on its own, and you may later get a notice of hearing. Watch your e-service or mail for it. Why it matters: if you miss the hearing set for your motion, it can be decided without you.

Read your notice carefully. If it asks you to do something, do it right away.

The deadline

The rules give 7 days to fix the problem after the clerk's notice (EDCR 8.03(a); NEFCR 9(b)(2)(A)). Count the days carefully. Do not wait.

You can e-file any time, but file well before 11:59 p.m. Pacific on a deadline day, and expect review during court hours.

Why it matters: A filing submitted by 11:59 p.m. court time counts for that day (NEFCR 9(d)(1)), but Odyssey reviews filings only during court hours, so a problem may not surface until the next business day.

How to fix and resubmit

Use CONFILE only when your notice asks you to fix something yourself, such as a missing cover sheet or a missing signature (sign by hand or type /s/ and your name).

Why it matters: it keeps you from using CONFILE for notices that need no action, or that need a new case instead.

Read the notice and find the exact problem.
Fix only that problem in your document. If it's a Lexly form, make the fix in the Upload version. For example: add your signature, split combined forms into separate files, or attach the cover sheet.
Save the corrected document as its own PDF. Before you upload, save each filled-in form as a regular PDF: use Print, then "Save as PDF" (this flattens it).
Why it matters: Odyssey may reject a fillable form, and even when it's accepted, the form's fill-in fields can lay a second copy of your text over what you typed, making the document unreadable. This matters most for orders.
E-file it in the same case through eFileNV (efilenv.tylertech.cloud/OfsEfsp/ui/landing), Clark County's official e-filing portal. Choose the filing code CONFILE – "Conforming Filing" (Filing Codes – Family Domestic, rev. Sept. 2025, p. 1).
- New to e-filing? See Tyler's e-filing training videos (odysseyfileandservecloud.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/sections/360010408551-Training-Videos). (Some videos on that page are for other states; skip those.)
  Why it matters: short videos show how to copy a rejected filing and how to file into an existing case, so you can resubmit without starting over.
- Name your file before uploading. For a document that starts a case, use the document's name or an abbreviation of it plus its filing code (for example, JointPetitionDVJ.pdf). For documents filed later, use your full case number, then one space, then the filing code (for example, D-25-123456-D MOT.pdf). Don't add other spaces or any symbols besides the hyphens in your case number.
  Why it matters: A clear, consistent file name helps the clerk match your file to the right document, and unusual characters can cause an upload error.
Keep a copy of the notice and of your corrected filing.

You won't be charged a court filing fee to file the corrected document under CONFILE, though processing and convenience fees may still apply.

Why it matters: you won't be surprised by a second court filing fee, and you'll know what charges to expect.

What happens next

After you file the fix, the clerk reviews it and you'll be notified (EDCR 8.03(e)). If you file it within the 7 days, your original filing date usually still counts (NEFCR 9(d)(2)).

If you miss the deadline

If you miss the 7-day deadline, still file the fix. Submit the corrected document using the CONFILE code even if more than 7 days have passed. A late correction is usually still accepted, but it gets a new file stamp with the date you resubmit, not your original filing date. After the 7 days, the clerk's office is allowed to strike a document that hasn't been corrected. That's uncommon, but the longer you wait, the longer that risk stays open.

Why it matters: Your original filing date can affect other deadlines in your case. Filing the fix quickly keeps that date and closes the door on your document being struck.

Getting help

E-filing help desk. For Family Court e-filing help, call 702-455-2807 or 702-455-2152, or email familyefilehelp@clarkcountycourts.us.
Why it matters: If a filing gets stuck, the help desk can help get it fixed sooner.
For more e-filing tips, see Tutorial - E-Filing Your Documents.

How Lexly templates help you avoid common problems

Lexly templates are set up to avoid the most common reasons the clerk sends a notice:

each form is a separate PDF
the filer's signature is on the signature line
the cover sheet is included, with one case type checked
decrees go to the judge, not to e-filing
each form has an Upload version with no Lexly notes, so only the official form is filed

The clerk still reviews every filing, so check your forms carefully before you upload them.

Download this guide (PDF)