General
Q. What does CSOL stand for?
A. CSOL stands for Courts Service Online
Q. What internet browser will CSOL work with?
A. CSOL is currently developed to work with Google Chrome. It does not function properly using any other browser.
Q. Where do I go for CSOL support?
A. For general CSOL support please email [email protected] or if appropriate contact your local Court Service office.
Q. What if CSOL is down/not accessible?
A. Please check www.courts.ie for any planned CSOL maintenance/outages or email the helpdesk at [email protected]
Q. What if I am having issues logging into CSOL?
A. Please check that your log in details are correct, as the password is case sensitive and also check that CSOL is being opened in Google Chrome. If you still cannot access your account please email [email protected]
Q. I cannot remember my username for CSOL?
A. Your username is your email address.
Q. I cannot remember my password for CSOL?
A. If you cannot remember your password, just enter your username and click on the red ‘Reset Password’ button. This will bring you to a new page where you enter your username again (this is your email address) and the system will send you an email with a link enabling you to change your password.
Registering a Legal Practice or Legal Costs Accountant Admin Account on CSOL
Q. What does registering on CSOL mean?
A. Registering on CSOL allows you to add users, manage users and create applications to Courts i.e. Legal Costs Adjudication Licensing, Small Claims and Leave to Appeal Supreme Court. Also any further application types facilitated through the system in the future.
Q. How do I register an account on CSOL?
A. It is imperative that you watch the instructional videos on the Legal firm registration process or on the Legal Costs Accountant firm registration process
Q. CSOL is telling me my email address is invalid?
A. If you get this message, it is likely that CSOL has recognised this email address as being currently used. Contact [email protected] for assistance in this instance.
Q. How many times do I register my legal firm or legal cost accountants firm?
A. You only need to register your firm once. Each legal firm has a Legal Practice Admin User account. These accounts can create and manage additional user accounts within your individual firm including a second Legal Practice Admin User account. It is recommended for larger firms to create a second Legal Practice Admin User account.
Q. What bank account do I use when registering my firm?
A. When you register your firm on CSOL, you should use your client account details for direct debit payments.
Q. What if the funds are not in my client account?
A. If the funds are not in your client account, you can use the credit/debit card payment option from any account which holds the funds (more than likely your office account).
Q. Can I start submitting applications once I have registered?
A. No, your account must be activated by CASU. CASU will notify you via email when your account is activated to enable you to submit applications.
Q. My firm is not within the Pilot District court areas, can I still register, arrange for my account to be activated by CASU and submit cases?
A. Applications can only be applied for on CSOL in the pilot District Court Areas (Number 1,2 & 6). If you wish to make an application within the pilot area but your firm is outside the pilot area, then contact CASU to assist you. Please note, even though your account may be active, you can only make licensing applications to a court within the pilot area (District Court Area 1, 2 & 6)
Q. What is the data covention on CSOL?
A. The data convention is highlighted in the table below which should be of assistance when entering applications on CSOL and also when searching for a licence online.
| Data Conventions for CSOL | Example of incorrect format | Example of Correct Format (exact case type and character match as per below) |
|---|---|---|
| Where there are multiple names it should be explicit using 'and' between them and not '&' | Mark, John & Mary Reilly | Mark Reilly, Jim Reilly and Mary Reilly |
| Ltd to Limited | Best Pub Ltd | Best Pub Limited |
| Names with a middle initial should have a dot | Mary J Blige | Mary J. Blige |
| Names with a senior or junior in their title should be full words | Pat Murphy Jnr. | Pat Murphy Junior |
| Removal of T/A in Trading name | T/A Best Pub Ltd | Best Pub Limited |
| Where a name has Mc/Mac there should be no space | Paul Mc Grath | Paul McGrath |
| Where a name has an O' there should be no space | Mark O' Neill | Mark O'Neill |
| Where a name has an Ni/Nic/Mac or Uí there should be a space | Máire NíMurchú | Máire Ní Murchú |
| Double names should have Capital letters for each name | Mary jane Blige-smith | Mary Jane Blige-Smith |
| Street must be input rather than St. | 4 Market St. | 4 Market Street |
| Co. instead of County | County Kildare | Co. Kildare |
| Avenue or Road etc in an address | Sunset Av., Bog Rd., County Kildare | Sunset Avenue, Bog Road, Co. Kildare |
| Lower and Upper in Address | Lwr. and Uppr. | Lower or Upper |
| GAA, GFC or RFC in club names etc but should be as per the Club Constitution | Sarsfields G.A.A. | Sarsfields GAA |
N.B .All company names should be as per their certificate of incorporation and entered in that format.
Please note that Eircodes should be included as part of any address. If clarification is sought, please contact CASU
Access Levels and Account Types
Q. What level of access is associated with each type of Legal Firm user accounts
A. There are four types of user accounts – Legal Practice Admin User, Legal Payment User, Legal Practice User, Legal Practice Restricted User. Please see instructional videos link for an in-depth explanation of each user accounts' functions
Using the eRegister for Licensing searches
Q. How do I search the eRegister for licensing
A. Go to www.csol.ie and select eRegister/Licensing. The searchable data will only search the current or active licences. Enter some details for searching. As with all searches, the lesser information entered, the more results will be returned. The most reliable search fields will be the premises address (part entered) or Revenue Licence numbers. Trading name values may change and therefore are less dependable when searching.
Q. How much is a Licensing Search?
A. Searching for a current licensee is free. Otherwise, if you wish to see the history from 2009, if relevant, it will cost €35 per premises search (multiple licences on the same premises will be included in the single search fee)
Q. What information can I see for free?
A. Current licence information, that is the licence type, licensee/club name/ nominee, CSOL licence number, Revenue number, current trading name, owner details and the premises address.
Q. What is included on the eRegister for the appropriate search fee?
A. Details from 2009 to date (if relevant) will appear on the eRegister. Any details prior 2009 can be obtained via licensing search though the manual Licensing Registrar in the relevant Court Office.
Q. If I need to attend a court office to carry out a search prior to 2009 on a premises or clarify details of a search, do I have to pay for another licensing search?
A. If you attend the local court office within 2 weeks of the online search and bring your online search printout with you to the court office, you will not be charged again for that search.
Q. How many years will the Register go back?
A. eRegister should display data from 2009 to date, if relevant.
Q. What is a Licence Number?
A. The Licence number is a unique number generated by CSOL, generally not known to most users.
Q. What is a Revenue Number?
A. This is the licence number given to a licence by Revenue and is printed on the physical licence issued by Revenue. Beer, Spirit and Wine Off Licences for the same premises are likely to share the same Revenue licence number.
Q. I cannot find the premises?
A. If data on CSOL does not match with your search data, it is recommended that less data is used in the search fields, as it will return more results. The License might be prior 2009 which requires searching the manual Licensing Register or the license is new and has not been entered on CSOL.
Q. I wish to apply for a licence on a new premises?
A. Please send all relevant premises details, as per table below, to the local office who will arrange for the new premises to be added to CSOL
| Address Line 1 (Mandatory) | |
| Address Line 2 | |
| Address Line 3 | |
| Town/ City (Mandatory) | |
| County (Mandatory) | |
| Post Code (Mandatory) | |
| District Number (Mandatory) | |
| Court Area (Mandatory) |
Licensing Applications Online & Sources of Information/ links
Q. What licensing Applications can I submit online?
A. Please see Licences on CSOL Online Applications which will guide you to what applications are available on CSOL. Please select only these application types despite the additional options available.
Please see list of licensing applications which must be submitted manually to court offices as they are not part of the online pilot.
Q. Can I see previous cases submitted online?
A. Yes, you can see all applications entered on CSOL either via the court office staff or submitted online by your firm.
Q. I cannot choose a Court date when adding a licensing application?
A. There are a few possible reasons why a court date is not available to you:
1) It is too close to court date (for District Court licensing applications entered on CSOL, there must be entered at least 2 clear days prior to the court date) i.e. if you have an application for Thursday's Court, you must enter the application on CSOL by midnight on the Monday beforehand. Please note that the statutory notice periods still apply.
2) The date has not been allocated by local Court Office as being available to the public (please contact your local court office to enable that date, if appropriate).
3) There is no court sitting on your requested date.
4) The court will not hear any licensing applications on your requested date.
Q. I want to make a court application for a new premises, what do I do?
A. If it is a new premises you must provide the local court office with the details of the new premises in writing as per previous FAQ above.
Q. The notice party I wish to serve is not appearing in the list of notice parties?
A. You will need to print the notice of application and notify that specific notice party manually. You must then lodge a declaration of service on the notice party in the appropriate Court Office.
Q. For Special Exemption applications, what dates and times should be chosen?
A. One of the most common errors on licensing applications is the date/time of a special exemption. If you choose midnight (00:00) on any given date, this indicates the beginning of that day rather than the end of that day. For example, If you were applying for a special exemption for what's commonly known as Friday midnight, 11th May 2019, then the date/time you choose should be 00:00 on the 12/05/19 until the end time on that same date, 02:30 on the 12/05/19. This might seem obvious to some however, it is the source of many queries.
Q. How do I enter an application where the applicant is a nominee of an Organisation/Partnership/Individual or a Secretary of a Club or Organisation?
A. When entering applications on CSOL, it is important to note that the applicant is NOT the Nominee or the Secretary. Because of this, you must add the Nominee or Secretary using the 'Add Nominee' or 'Add Secretary' buttons. The applicant details should be entered matching the above data convention.
Q. Where do I go for CSOL support?
A. Go to www.courts.ie for information on CSOL updates, downtime or general information and [email protected] for direct CSOL support. Alternatively, your local court office may be able to assist you with some general queries. The instructional video links attached below are crucial in understanding CSOL and how it works.
Currently, there are several instructional videos covering a variety of modules, posted on the Online eLicensing page.
These videos are slow paced to allow all users to understand the information being portrayed. These videos were created for assistance and are essential for all users of CSOL to view, in order to fully understand the system prior to using CSOL.
Q. Where do I send suggestions for improvements to the pilot system?
A. Please email any suggestions of improvements to [email protected] and participate in any surveys forwarded to you to relation to CSOL
Terms and Conditions
1.1 Access to the Courts Service Online System (CSOL) and use of information contained therein is governed by the terms, conditions and notices set out below. Any person or persons authorised to access CSOL in accordance with these Terms and Conditions (“User” or “Users”, respectively) is deemed to have read and accepted these terms, conditions and notices.
CSOL and the CSOL website is owned by the Courts Service, and is operated for and on behalf of the Courts Service and any court office, the business of which is authorised to be transacted by means of CSOL.
1.2 CSOL is established in Ireland in accordance with and subject to the laws of Ireland. Without prejudice to section 4 of these Terms and Conditions, the Courts of Ireland shall have exclusive jurisdiction in relation to any disputes which may arise in relation to the website, its uses or any information contained therein and Users in applying for access to CSOL agree to allow such dispute to be heard in the Irish courts.
1.3 In order to use CSOL the User must open and maintain an account with the Courts Service. Access to CSOL is available only to:
- a user to whom a username and password has been issued by the Courts Service; and
- personnel employed by the user specifically authorised by the user to access CSOL (“authorised personnel”).
1.4 Users must ensure that their account particulars, username and password are not disclosed to any other person or party and are responsible for ensuring that access through the user’s account is conducted only by authorised personnel.
1.5 Users and their authorised personnel may not use the website in any manner which could damage, disable or impair the services provided through the website or interfere with any other party's use of those services. In applying for access to CSOL, users thereby:
- undertake to ensure that harmful, deleterious or offensive material does not enter CSOL or the information system of the Courts Service or any other user through any act or omission of the user or the users authorised personnel; and
- accept liability for the acts or omissions of their authorised personnel when using CSOL.
1.6 CSOL.ie may, now or in the future, provide links to other websites or resources. These links are provided solely as a convenience to the user of this site and not as an endorsement of the contents of such third-party sites. Additionally, no responsibility shall arise in respect of the availability of such external sites or resources, or for any content, products, services or other materials on or available from such sites or resources. Access from this site to third-party sites is undertaken entirely at the user's own risk. Any issues regarding external links should be directed to the administrator or webmaster of that third party site.
1.7 The Courts Service will, subject to any existing contractual agreements, retain all rights (including but not limited to copyrights, patents, trade secrets and any other intellectual property rights) in all versions of CSOL and CSOL.ie.
1.8 In the event of a user transmitting material to the Courts Service and/or a court office and/or a court, the Courts Service has no responsibility for the accuracy, veracity and completeness of same and for any errors in the manner of its input.
1.9 The Courts Service reserves the right to add, amend or vary these terms and conditions by publishing notice of such changes on its website and the continued use of the service will signify the user’s acceptance of the changes.
1.10 It is the responsibility of users, at their own expense, to provide, maintain and upgrade the computer hardware and software and facilities which they need to gain access to CSOL.
System Administration within Solicitor Firms
2.1 As a condition of being permitted access to CSOL, the Managing Partner/Principal Solicitor/Compliance Partner of the user or such nominee as authorised by one of the foregoing shall personally nominate/authorise:
- a system administrator within the solicitor firm (“the administrator”); and
- each of the authorised personnel and their access roles within the solicitor firm.
2.2 The administrator referred to at 2.1 above will be responsible for the set up of additional authorised personnel.
2.3 The administrator referred to at 2.1 above will be wholly responsible for the immediate disabling of CSOL user accounts under their remit who no longer require access.
Electronic Payments and Searches
3.1 The Managing Partner/Principal Solicitor/Compliance Partner of the user accepts responsibility for the making and clearance of all electronic payments made by the user whether authorised personally or by other personnel of the user.
3.2 Where searches of the eLicensing Register on CSOL are being made, users employing the search facility must satisfy themselves that they have correctly identified the premises of interest before making an electronic payment. Requests for refund of the appropriate court fee will not be entertained where an electronic search for a premises has been made erroneously.
Disclaimer
4.1 Reasonable care has been exercised in the compilation of the information and data available through CSOL. Apart from matters which are required by statute to be the subject of an entry in the Register of Licences as provided for in section 16 of the Licensing (Ireland) Act 1874 or an entry in the Register of Clubs as provided for in section 1 of the Registration of Clubs (Ireland) Act 1904 and subject to paragraphs 4.2 and 4.3 below, no representation or warranty is made or given as to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the data or information available on CSOL. The use of any such information, which may be altered or updated at any time without notice, is at the sole risk of the user.
4.2 Persons accessing the Register of Licences or Register of Clubs through CSOL or www.courts.ie should be aware that the information is current in respect of each premises at the close of business on the previous working day. However, further updates may be pending in relation to court hearings related to the premises since the premises data was last updated.
4.3 No representation or warranty is made or given that access to CSOL will be uninterrupted or error free, and the Courts Service and the court office concerned accept no liability for any damage or loss suffered by a user, client of a user or any other person arising from any interruption in service or error in delivery of service.
4.4 The Courts Service reserves the right to alter the terms, conditions and notices under which the services available through CSOL are offered. Users are responsible for regularly reviewing the terms, conditions and notices posted on this website.
4.5 The Courts Service reserves the right to make changes to type information, design and services provided through CSOL without notice and without liability. Every effort will be made to advise of changes in advance.
