This document discusses the benefits of electronic filing (e-filing) over fax filing in courts. It notes that several countries have implemented comprehensive e-filing systems that integrate court records, case management, and electronic document submission and receipt. It then outlines the key benefits of e-filing, including lower costs, instant notifications, time savings, scalability to large volumes of filings, redundancy of electronic documents, and increased transparency and control over court information.
2. E-FILING IN OTHER LOCALES
•
A few countries have attempted
comprehensive integration and
automation of court records, case
management, document management,
and electronic transmission and
receipt of records (Austria, Australia,
Canada, Israel, Singapore, and South
Korea).
•
Ongoing programs in Kansas,
Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Texas
highlight nationwide move toward
electronic filing, allowing courts to
utilize expanding digital technologies.
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4. COST
•
Has been demonstrated to spare
court budgets significant expense.
•
Reduces physical storage costs.
•
Increased efficacy of courts
reduces expenses.
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5. NOTIFICATIONS
•
Users can get instant notification that the court received the
documents.
•
Users will receive their conformed copies once the court has
processed the filing.
•
Confirmations do not exist with fax filings and you rarely get
the conformed copies back.
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6. TIME
•
Facilitates efficient
calendaring. It saves time for
attorneys and their staff.
•
E-filing also makes it easier
to identify which law firms
or attorneys have entered
appearances in particular
courtrooms during a
particular time period.
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7. SCALABILITY
!
•
Filings not limited by equipment, location, or many
extraneous factors.
•
A case can be opened online by court personnel, lawyers, or
litigants. All docket entries and documents are electronically
submitted, reviewed and disseminated.
•
There are multi-layers of access restrictions.
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8. REDUNDANCY
•
Electronic PDF can serve as the official document.
•
9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and Midwestern floods did not create
major interruption of Federal Court operations that utilized
CM/ECF.
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9. CONTROL AND TRANSPARENCY
•
E-filing allows for increased
control over information.
•
E-filing allows automation of
docket statistics.
•
Take CM/ECF for instance,
there are multi-layers of
access restrictions depending
on each individual’s legal
status (i.e. judge, clerk,
attorney), involvement in a
particular case, or special
permissions can be set.
Access can be restricted as
needed for any number of
reasons including by docket,
sealed documents, ex-parte,
or court-only viewed entries.
•
Docket statistics can be used
to measure how resources
are allocated as well as
improve budgetary decisions
and staffing imbalances.
Statistics can identify trends
in prosecution, which can
assist in the evaluation the
efficacy of social programs. Efiling allows for gathering
complete information about
the courts for transparency.
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10. SOURCES
Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice
International Journal For Court Administration
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
Judicial Council of California
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
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11. NEED E-FILING?
Contact Bosco Legal to efile in Orange and Riverside Counties*.
!
We can also do the data entry for efilings on behalf of our clients
at these courts as well as various other courts saving our clients
valuable time and resources.
Call (877) 353-8281 or email efile@boscolegal.org for more
details.
*Limited document types are currently available in Riverside County for efiling with more to be added in
the near future.
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