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Spring 2013
IN THIS ISSUE
d&G Lawyer News

  • E-Filing Status Update
  • By: Michael R. Bray

    The April 1 deadline for attorneys and clerks to make the move to Florida's e-filing portal (www.myflcourtaccess.com) for civil filings is fast approaching. The portal will provide parties with a single entry point for filing and viewing court documents that are electronically filed in every court in Florida. See In re: Amendments to the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, etc., Fla. Supreme Court Case No. SC11-399 (October 18, 2012). The vast majority of Florida's 67 counties are already accepting electronic filings through the portal. Most are accepting pleadings in all new and existing civil cases. Of the rest, at the time of this writing, Seminole and Okaloosa Counties are accepting filings in existing cases only. Miami-Dade is accepting filings in all existing cases, and in new family law cases. Hillsborough is accepting filings in existing civil cases, including family and probate, and in new probate cases. Hernando has established its capability to accept electronic filings in all new and existing cases, but is not yet accepting them via the portal. Taylor County is already accepting all filings for county civil and probate cases, and is targeting February 25 as the date it will begin accepting filings in circuit civil and family law cases. Orange, Osceola, and Sumter Counties are all planning to be ready to accept all civil filings by March 1. Pasco County expects to accept all civil filings by April 1. Pinellas County can receive probate filings in both new and existing cases, but has set a target date of April 29 to begin accepting other civil filings, which will require an extension from the Supreme Court's April 1 deadline. See Florida Courts E-Filing Authority, Civil Readiness Report (February 7, 2013). Criminal filings in all circuit courts must be made electronically via the portal by October 1, 2013.

    While the trial courts' move to the portal is making a bigger splash, the appellate courts will be making the transition, as well. The Florida Supreme Court will begin accepting electronic filings via the portal on a voluntary basis on February 27. Filings via the portal will become mandatory in the Florida Supreme Court on April 1. See In re: Electronic Filing in the Supreme Court of Florida via the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, Administrative Order SC13-7 (February 18, 2013). The District Courts of Appeal will follow later this year, with deadlines of July 22 for the Second DCA, September 27 for the Third DCA, and October 31 for the Fourth DCA. The First and Fifth DCAs, which are currently using the eDCA system for electronic filing, are required to transition to the portal by November 27 for the Fifth DCA, and December 27 for the First DCA

    According to the February 15, 2013, Florida Bar News, there are already over 20,100 registered users of the portal, and an average of almost 43,000 documents per month are being filed electronically in the trial courts. Of course, a significant portion of the Florida Bar's nearly 94,000 members are civil filers, so the portal will see a dramatic increase in the number of users, as well as a sharp uptick in filings, as April 1 nears.

    For more information and to access training materials for the portal, visit the Florida State Courts website at http://www.flcourts.org/gen_public/technology/e-filinginfostatus.shtml, and the Florida Courts E-Filing Authority at http://www.flclerks.com/eFiling_authority.html. If you have any questions, please contact Michael Bray at (813) 229-2775.
    101 E. Kennedy Blvd., Suite 2000 | Tampa, FL 33602 | 813-229-2775 Fax: 813-229-2712
    Email: info@dgfirm.com | Site: www.dgfirm.com
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