Troubleshooting Common Issues

How to Use This Guide

This guide covers the most common issues that Advocate CMS users encounter and how to resolve them quickly. We start with the most frequent issues first. If your problem is not listed here, [contact support](https://adcms.hikmotic.com/contact) and we will help you directly.

Cannot Log In

Forgot Password

1. Go to the login page at https://adcms.hikmotic.com/login

2. Click **Forgot Password**

3. Enter the email address you used to sign up

4. Check your email for a password reset link

5. Click the link and set a new password

The reset link expires after 24 hours. If you do not receive the email within five minutes, check your spam folder.

Account Locked After Multiple Failed Attempts

For security, accounts are temporarily locked after 10 failed login attempts. The lock lasts for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, try again with the correct password.

If you are locked out and cannot wait, [contact support](https://adcms.hikmotic.com/contact) with your registered email address and we can unlock your account.

Cannot Access My Workspace

If you can log in but cannot see your workspace:

1. Check that you are using the correct email address. Some users have multiple accounts and may be logged into the wrong one.

2. If you were invited to a workspace, confirm that you accepted the invitation. Check your email for the original invitation from Advocate CMS and click the acceptance link.

3. If someone removed you from the workspace, you will no longer have access. Contact the workspace administrator.

Notifications Not Arriving

Check Notification Settings

1. Go to **Settings > Notifications**

2. Verify that the specific notification types you want are turned on

3. Check that you are not in a Quiet Hours period

Check Spam Folder

Advocate CMS emails come from a noreply domain. Some email providers filter these into spam. Check your spam folder and mark Advocate CMS emails as not spam.

Verify Your Email Address

1. Go to **Settings > Profile**

2. Confirm your email address is correct

3. If you recently changed it, make sure you verified the new address

Test Email Delivery

From **Settings > Notifications**, click **Send Test Email**. If you receive the test email, your notification settings are working and the issue may be with specific notification types.

File Upload Fails

File Too Large

The maximum file size depends on where you are uploading:

- **Case documents**: 25 MB per file

- **Evidence items**: 50 MB per file

- **Profile photos**: 5 MB

- **Letterhead images**: 2 MB

If your file exceeds these limits, compress it or split it into multiple smaller files.

Unsupported File Type

Supported types include PDF, DOC, DOCX, JPG, PNG, TXT, MP3, and MP4. If you are trying to upload a different format, convert it first.

Upload Stuck at a Certain Percentage

This is usually a network issue:

1. Check your internet connection

2. Try refreshing the page and uploading again

3. If you are on a slow or unstable connection, try uploading a smaller file first to confirm the connection works

4. If the issue persists, try a different browser or clear your browser cache

Duplicate File Name Error

Advocate CMS does not allow two files with the same name in the same folder. Rename your file (add a date or version number) and try again.

Dashboard or Pages Not Loading Correctly

Clear Browser Cache

Old cached files can cause display issues:

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+Delete (Mac)

2. Select **Cached images and files**

3. Click **Clear data**

4. Reload the Advocate CMS page

Try a Different Browser

Advocate CMS works best on:

- Google Chrome (version 90 or later)

- Mozilla Firefox (version 88 or later)

- Microsoft Edge (version 90 or later)

- Safari (version 14 or later)

If you are using an older browser version, update it.

Disable Browser Extensions

Some browser extensions (ad blockers, script blockers, privacy tools) can interfere with Advocate CMS. Try loading the site in an incognito or private browsing window. If it works there, one of your extensions is causing the issue. Disable them one at a time to find the culprit.

Check for Service Outages

Rarely, Advocate CMS experiences service disruptions. Check our status page or social media for announcements. If there is an outage, our team is already working on it.

Search Not Finding Results

Search is Case-Sensitive for Some Fields

Case numbers and exhibit numbers are matched exactly. Make sure you are typing them precisely as entered.

Case titles and client names are searched with partial matching — typing part of the name should find it.

Check Your Case Filters

If you have active filters applied on the Cases page, search results are limited to filtered cases. Clear filters by clicking **Clear All** above the case list.

Archived Cases

Search does not include archived cases by default. To search archived cases:

1. Go to **Cases**

2. Click the **Archived** tab

3. Use the search bar within that tab

Team Invite Not Received

Check Spam Folder

Invitation emails sometimes land in spam. Ask the invitee to check their spam folder and search for emails from Advocate CMS.

Resend the Invitation

1. Go to **Settings > Team Members**

2. Find the invited person (they will show as "Invitation Pending")

3. Click **Resend Invite**

Verify the Email Address

Make sure the email was typed correctly. A single character mistake means the invitation went to the wrong address. If the email is wrong:

1. Click **Remove** next to the pending invite

2. Add a new invitation with the correct email

Performance Is Slow

Large Dataset

Workspaces with thousands of cases and documents may experience slower page loads, especially on the main Cases list. Use the search and filter tools to narrow down what you are viewing.

Slow Internet Connection

Advocate CMS requires a reasonable internet speed for optimal performance. Run a speed test at fast.com or speedtest.net. If your download speed is below 1 Mbps, pages will load slowly.

Browser Memory

If you have many tabs open, your browser may be running low on memory. Close unused tabs and refresh Advocate CMS.

Cannot Delete a Case or Document

Permission Issue

Only Admins and Lead Advocates can delete cases. If you are a Junior Advocate or User, you will not see the delete option. Ask an Admin to perform the deletion.

Case Has Active Hearings

A case with upcoming hearing dates cannot be deleted. You must first:

1. Remove or reschedule the upcoming hearings

2. Mark the case as Disposed or Archived

3. Then delete it

This prevents accidental deletion of active matters.

Audit Trail Requirement

Deleted items can never be recovered. Before deleting, consider whether archiving is a better option. Archived items are hidden from the main lists but remain accessible if needed later.

Mobile-Specific Issues

On mobile devices:

**App is not responsive**: Rotate your phone to landscape mode. Some screens (like the full case list) work better in landscape on smaller phones.

**Touch targets too small**: Zoom in using a pinch gesture. Advocate CMS is designed to be touch-friendly, but some elements may feel small depending on your phone's display settings.

**Cannot upload files from phone**: Make sure you have granted Advocate CMS permission to access your photos and files. On iPhone, go to Settings > Safari > Camera and Photos. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Chrome > Permissions.

When to Contact Support

Contact [Advocate CMS support](https://adcms.hikmotic.com/contact) when:

- You have tried the troubleshooting steps above and the issue persists

- You notice unusual activity on your account (logins from unknown locations, changes you did not make)

- You have a feature request or suggestion

- You need help migrating data from another system

- You have billing or subscription questions

When contacting support include:

- Your registered email address

- A description of what you were trying to do

- What happened instead

- Any error messages you saw (screenshots help)

- The browser and device you were using

This information helps our team resolve your issue faster.

Next Steps

- [Getting started guide](https://adcms.hikmotic.com/help-center/getting-started-advocate-cms) for a refresher on the basics

- [Email notification preferences](https://adcms.hikmotic.com/help-center/configuring-email-notification-preferences) to configure your alerts

- [Contact support](https://adcms.hikmotic.com/contact) for personalized help