Tech Tip: PACER Apps for iPhone and iPad

By Christi McGowan

Access to case-related information, dockets, and documents are now available right at your fingertips with apps like FedCtRecords, DkT, and PacerMonitor. DkT and PacerMonitor are free, while FedCtRecords is $9.99. Each app has different functionality and features—depending on what you need it for, you may be able to download one of the free apps to suit your needs. I put each app to the test for speed, ease of use, download capability, and quick access features.

FedCtRecords

Logging on is a one-time process. You will be prompted once to enter your PACER account information before proceeding. After running a case query, four cases were returned where the client I searched for was the “party.” You can add your cases to “MyCases” for continued quick access. I did not like that I could not see the case number next to the name of the party until I made a selection. Without seeing the full case name or date filed, I had to go into each party named to find the correct docket. In addition, there was only a “back” feature to return to the previous page, which prompted a “fetching request” process that I didn’t care for. But the layout is easy to follow once you are in the docket, and it provides four options to choose from: attorney, case summary, docket report, and party. From the docket, a simple click allows you to view the document, which then prompts you to accept the charges. Unfortunately, I was kicked out of the app each time I started to download a document, which meant I had to go back and accept the charges again. I attempted to download the same document three times, but was unsuccessful in viewing the document. This app does allow for saving contact information right into your address book, though, which is a nice feature.