Online Filing

     
To gain access to Online Filing, you will need to have an individual User ID set up. You can do this by contacting your company's Security Administrator. If you are unsure who that is, please contact Support.

If your company does not have a Security Administrator, please have the appropriate person complete the Security Administrator Profile Form.

Arbitration Forums Discontinuing Online Filing

Arbitration Forums (AF) has been on a multi-year journey to deliver an innovative arbitration product that reduces cycle time, decreases filing errors, and improves decision quality. With the addition of the Special Arbitration Forum on February 19, 2024, Total Recovery Solution® (TRS®) now contains all of AF’s programs available for arbitration. All new filings are now in TRS, and new filings in Online Filing (OLF) have been discontinued.

With all arbitration programs now available in TRS, AF will be discontinuing OLF this year. 
Learn More

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Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, but only if they have previously filed or responded to arbitration (which means a company code was already established) or they received a non-signatory company / billing code and are set up with online access - after completing our Security Administration form.
Yes, so long as we have created a specific company code for the TPA, they have a dedicated Security Administrator, and the member has provided written consent for the TPA to have access to file or respond on their behalf.
A manager can run an Online Filing Productivity report so long as their company’s System Administrator has granted them admin or report rights. The Productivity Report feature is found under Reports/Online Filing Reports. Reports can be run for a given date range and is broken down by Date, User, and Transaction Type (e.g. Add Docket, Respond). They can also request the report in Excel format if they want to manipulate the data in a way the report does not give them.
No, Applications, Responses, or Contentions are NOT accepted via fax. You can utilize our Online Filing system to submit applications or responses. Online Filing offers a number of benefits including saving you both time and money and having a positive effect on the environment by eliminating paper from the arbitration process
No, supporting evidence must be uploaded into the system by the Materials Due Date.
AF will NOT offer paper Hearing Notices to parties that file or respond to cases using Online Filing. You will receive a docket number, ready to hear date, estimated heard by date, materials due date and the last reschedule request date upon completion of the case. You will be notified via e-mail of any status change within minutes of that change.
Yes. You can respond to any case file against you using OLF, regardless of how the Applicant filed the case.
Yes, please refer to our Direct Upload FAQ for more information.
  • Yes, you can withdraw cases online by accessing the Docket Details page of the case in question. From the Docket Actions menu item, select Withdraw Docket. You will then be prompted to enter a reason for withdrawing the case, e.g. settled with Respondent, etc. and press the Withdraw Docket button.
  • Please note, YOU MUST be the Applicant to withdraw the case. Respondents are not permitted to withdraw cases.
  • However, you can withdraw ANY CASE where your company is the Applicant regardless of filing method. This is not limited to Online Filing cases.
For starters, you will need an individual User ID and Password to log in to AF's website (unless your company uses an integrated log in process). Once logged in, you can:
  1. Add a new case - click Member Access>Online Filing then select the appropriate forum in which you wish to file arbitration, i.e. Auto, Property, Special.
  2. Access a case - click Member Access>Case Lookup then search by AF Docket Number, Claim File number, or Insured Name; or, click Member Access>My Watches if you have already added the case to your My Watches list.

There are two methods to file your counterclaim:

  1. Enter Counterclaim and Response from original case.
    1. Locate the original docket number using Member Access/Case Search.
    2. Select Docket Actions/Enter Counterclaim for Respondent
    3. You will then be presented with a series of pages that will allow you to enter your Counterclaim and Response at the same time.
  2. Select relationship to original case while entering a new case.

    There may be times when you are filing a case and are unaware of the original case being filed against you. When you enter a new case, the system will scan for potential related and duplicate filings.

    The data elements used by Online Filing to search for related and duplicate cases include:

    Companies Involved
    Date of Loss
    Claim Number
    Insured Name

    You will be shown a list of cases that are possibly related or duplicate claims. To mark your new case as a Counterclaim, simply select Counterclaim from the drop down menu provided.

    If you are filing a related claim that is not a Counterclaim, e.g., a MedPay case from the same loss as an existing Auto case, select the Companion Claim option. This will ensure the cases are heard together by the AF Panel.

  • To amend an Online Filing, access the Docket Details page. From the Docket Actions menu item, select Amend Application.
  • Your case will be displayed. Make any corrections and save your case. You will have the ability to reprint the Application and Contentions.
  • Please note, you must send a copy of all Amended Applications to the adverse parties or you may utilize AF's Notification Service.
  • You will not be able to amend cases sent to AF via traditional means, i.e., mail, E-File, etc., by using Online Filing. You must submit those amendments to the Member Service Center via mail.
First, your company will need to assign a Security Administrator. This is accomplished by completing a Security Administrator Profile Form and emailing it to our Member Services Department at Membership@arbfile.org. The appointed Security Administrator will be responsible for assigning additional Security Administrators and/or users for your company. The Security Administrator Profile Form can be found on AF’s homepage under the Online Filing section or by clicking here.
You will need to log in to AF's Web site using your individual User ID and Password. Once logged in, access the case you want to respond to (Member Access/Case Lookup). Once you have accessed the case you want to respond to, access the Response page by clicking the Docket Actions/Enter Response for Respondent.
The Three Person Panel request is the last question in the Damages Summary section. This question will not be available if the minimum claim amount has not been reached for the program in which you are filing. See Rule 3-3 for specific information pertaining to Three Person Panel requests in each forum.
We are sorry to hear about your problem you are having with your connection. The time out on AF's website is 30 minutes, and we have code in place to keep sessions 'alive' while you are in a case, e.g. filing or responding. If you are timing out in 5 - 10 minutes, this might be a problem with your company's proxy server and is something you should address with your IT Department.
For general rules or process-related questions, you can receive assistance by calling our Member Service Center at 1-866-977-3434.
  • Upon submission of your case, you will receive confirmation with the assigned docket number, ready-to-be-heard date, materials due date, etc.
  • Your only remaining step will be to electronically upload your evidence by the materials due date.
  • Within 2 to 3 days of your online submission, AF will send the application and contentions to the responding company(ies) along with a hearing notice that provides the ready-to-be-heard date, materials due date, etc.
When selecting your evidence, you have the ability to choose as many of each evidence type as you require. You also have the ability to enter a description for each evidence item, e.g. John’s Witness Statement, Joe’s Recorded Statement. Descriptions are not required, but are recommended, especially when you have more than one evidence item of the same type, e.g. multiple witness statements, recorded statements, etc. To enter a description on your evidence item, simply click the icon on the selected evidence item. You will be taken to a page where you can enter a description for each evidence item. The description you enter here will appear on the printed Contentions Sheet.
  • Check with your Security Administrator to ensure that you have been granted access to Online Filing, and that your user account is not marked as a shared account.
  • You can contact our Member Service Department at 1-866-977-3434 to find out who your company’s assigned Security Administrator is.
  • When searching for related cases, we compare the following items:

    Companies Involved
    Date of Loss
    Claim Number
    Insured Name

  • There is a possibility that we may miss a related claim if some or all of this information does not match your case. If you know of a related case that does not appear on the Related Docket Page, simply click the check box that indicates you know of a related case, and you will be prompted to enter the Docket Number of the related case. Online Filing will then compare your case to the Docket Number listed. The companies involved in the case MUST match the companies in your case. We will not compare file numbers and insured names. Your new case will be related to the listed Docket Number if the companies and date of loss match.
Only if that subsidiary was involved in a previously filed arbitration via paper (which means a company code was already established) and/or received a non-signatory company / billing code and are set-up with online access.
AF does not monitor returned e-mail notifications. The member's dedicated System Administrator should proactively manage the leaving employees email account by having his/her emails forwarded to another representative. This can be done by either forwarding their e-mail through your company's e-mail system or contacting the AF Help Desk (support@arbfile.org) to have the user's open cases changed to another user. Another suggestion would be to have a group e-mail box that all adjusters use when filing to eliminate this problem. For managers, the Case Workflow Reports help manage the process of identifying filings involving this individual (found on "My Arbfile" page under "Reports").
There is no limit to the size of your Contentions. We recommend typing your Contentions in your word processor, e.g. Microsoft Word, Corel, or WordPerfect prior to filing your case. This will allow you to make use of your word processor’s spell check feature and reduce the chances of your session timing out while filing your case. To transfer your Contentions from your word processor to Online Filing, simply cut and paste them.
The contentions are stored in our database as pure text. You will not be able to format (bold, italicize, etc.) or control fonts in your Contentions. If you are trying to bring attention to a particular area of your Contentions, we recommend you type that section in all capital letters.
We have tried to provide a comprehensive list of the most widely used evidence and damage types by program, however, if the type you are trying to select does not appear on the list, simply choose OTHER and provide your description. If you are specifying OTHER for the same type of evidence/damage item, please notify our help desk for its inclusion on the list.
No. There is a separate data entry element for you to enter your Insured’s Deductible. The Insured’s Deductible amount will print as a separate line item in the Damages Section of your Contentions.
Only Property, Special, and UM arbitration filings are still filed in OLF. New Auto, PIP, Med Pay, and NY PIP filings are submitted in TRS.
You can file your case against any company regardless of signatory status. You can also file against companies not listed in the AF Member Directory. Cases filed against non-signatory companies will be withdrawn prior to the hearing if consent is not received in the form of a letter or response to the arbitration filing.
There have been many safeguards and tracking mechanisms put in place to ensure all evidence specified is sent to AF; however, your case will proceed to hearing without your evidence if it is not received by the materials due date listed on the Evidence Cover Page.
Yes, they are able to file the Property case online. They will be prompted, however, to confirm that the member they are filing against has provided consent. The nonmember will select "Yes" and submit a copy of the consent letter they received from the member respondent. If prior consent has not been obtained, the nonmember will select "No" and the case will be diaried and reviewed prior to hearing to see if the respondent answers, implying consent. If no answer or consent letter is submitted, the case will be administratively closed.
Online Filing allows you to easily file your arbitration case or respond to one via AF's Web site and electronically upload your evidence. You have the ability to enter case information on a series of Web pages and receive a docket number and ready-to-be-heard date at the end of the process. Once you receive the docket number, you will receive a link that will allow you to print the Application, Contentions. You will be notified via email when all file material is received by AF. Additionally, any change to an Online Filing case will automatically generate an e-mail notifying you of the change, i.e., reschedule, deferment, answer, amendment, etc.
The cut off time to submit amendments, responses, evidence, etc., on the Materials Due Date is midnight Eastern Time (11:59:59 ET), regardless of the time zone in which you are located.
There is no charge to file or respond online. View the fee schedule.
We have tried to provide a comprehensive list of the most widely used evidence and damage types by program, however, if the type you are trying to select does not appear on the list, simply choose OTHER and provide your description. If you are specifying OTHER for the same type of evidence/damage item, please notify our help desk for its inclusion on the list.