The Iowa Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) requires parties to electronically file (eFile) intended exhibits on the Workers' Compensation Electronic System (WCES).
DWC has developed the tips on this page to help attorneys and self-represented parties in the preparation and eFiling of intended exhibits.
For more information on exhibits, click here.
Redact or omit Protected information.
The Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure apply to cases before DWC. Rule 1.422 requires redaction or omission of protected information from filings, including exhibits. You must redact or omit protected information from all intended exhibits filed with DWC.
To view Iowa Court Rules, click here.
Follow the Uniform Guidelines on Preparation of Hearing Exhibits.
To aid attorneys and self-represented parties in the preparation of hearing exhibits, DWC developed the Uniform Guidelines on Preparation of Hearing Exhibits.
For information about the Guidelines, click here.
If questions or issues arise, Email your presiding deputy (with all opposing counsel and representatives of opposing parties cc'd).
If questions or issues relating to the Guidelines arise, email the presiding deputy, with counsel for and representatives of all opposing parties cc'd. Exceptions to the Guidelines may be granted on a case-by-base basis. Emailing the presiding deputy allows the deputy to consider your issue and, if appropriate, conduct a status conference to determine if an exception is warranted.
Example
After working together on joint exhibits, the parties have been unable to prepare joint exhibits under the page limit in the Guidelines. The parties should email the presiding deputy about their joint exhibits.
eFile your proposed hearing report separately.
Agency rules require your to eFile your proposed hearing report in Microsoft Word format. You eFile your exhibits in PDF format.
Do not eFile your hearing report with your exhibits on WCES. You must eFile your hearing report as a separate submission from your exhibits.
Note the size of your pdf files.
WCES only allows eFiling of documents below a certain size. If WCES rejects a PDF of intended exhibits because it is too large, you can:
- Check your scanner settings to reduce the resolution, and therefore the file size, of your scanned PDF; or
- Divide your exhibits into smaller PDFs and eFile the smaller PDFs on WCES.
Use the correct document type on WCES when eFiling intended exhibits.
In order to ensure that the presiding deputy is able to consider and act upon your intended exhibits, use the correct document type on WCES when eFiling them.
Identify which exhibits are in PDF docs eFiled as exhibits on WCES.
Identify which intended exhibits are included in the PDF you are eFiling on WCES.
Example No. 1
If you are eFiling a PDF that includes intended Joint Exhibits 1, 2, 3, and 4, identify that the PDF includes Joint Exhibits 1 through 4 when eFiling on WCES.
Example No. 2
If you are eFiling two PDFs of intended exhibits, identify that the first PDF includes Joint Exhibits 1 through 6 and the second PDF includes Joint Exhibit's 7 through 11 when eFiling on WCES.
Notify the presiding deputy when you efile amended exhibits.
If you eFile amended intended exhibits on WCES, notify the presiding deputy and all other parties with a description of how the amended exhibits differ from the initial exhibits.
Review resources about eFiling on WCES.
User Guide
For written instructions on how to eFile on WCES, click here.
Tutorial Videos
To view tutorial videos on how to eFile on WCES, click here.
More eFiling Tips
For more eFiling tips, click here.
More resources
For more resources relating to eFiling on WCES, click here.