DCAs to migrate to the statewide e-filing portal
DCAs to migrate to the statewide e-filing portal
Electronic filing for Florida’s five district courts of appeal will shortly switch from the current eDCA system to the statewide e-filing portal that handles filing for the remainder of the state court system.
Supreme Court Clerk John Tomasino reported at the November 2 meeting of the Florida Court Technology Commission that the changeover should be finished by February.
“There will be lots of advance notice about it. It will be on the eDCA websites,” Tomasino said after the meeting.
It has taken several years to bring the DCAs into the statewide portal because of difficulties integrating the portal operations into those courts’ case management systems, Tomasino said. The Second DCA did briefly use the portal, but went back to the eDCA system a couple years ago. The Supreme Court has used the portal for several years.
The eDCA system won’t be going away. Tomasino said it will remain operating as a way for parties to get electronic access to documents filed in their cases. The five systems for the individual courts will likely be merged into one website, though, he added.
Switching to using the portal for electronic filing will offer some pluses for lawyers.
“The big advantage is they’ll be able to utilize the portal’s electronic service functionality. The eDCA system does not do service,” Tomasino said. “And they’ll be able to accept filing fees via the portal. The eDCA does not do anything with money.”
He said the First and Second DCAs will migrate to using the portal in December, and the Third, Fourth, and Fifth DCAs will make the change in January.
The portal currently handles around 1.4 million filings a month for the trial courts; the five DCAs had around 14,600 filings in September.
