E-Filing Authority Celebrates the 10th Anniversary of E-Filing Portal
The E-Filing Portal usage grew from 6,000 court documents filed annually in 2011 to 25 million today
The Florida Courts E-Filing Authority July 19 announced the celebration of the E-Filing Portal’s 10th Anniversary. Since its first filing in January 2011, the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal has changed the landscape of how courts operate in Florida, serving as a gateway for those involved in the justice system to electronically file and access official court documents.
“The E-Filing Portal has revolutionized the filing of court documents for those who participate in the justice system,” said Karen Rushing, Sarasota County Clerk of Court and Comptroller and Florida Courts E-Filing Authority chair. “We are very proud of the tremendous accomplishments and growth of the Portal but are also looking ahead to the future of the Portal. The E-Filing Authority is continually exploring ways to enhance the E-Filing Portal to provide more features for its users.”
Florida Supreme Court Clerk John Tomasino said the success of the E-Filing Portal is a testament to the hard work of, and partnership between, the Supreme Court and Florida’s Clerks of Court.
“We look forward to our continued participation in the E-Filing Authority to further build upon our accomplishments and constantly evolve the Portal in ways that improve how residents connect to Florida’s Court System,” Tomasino said.
In 2009, the Florida Legislature mandated the Supreme Court to set standards for clerks to implement a statewide process for electronically filing court documents. Florida’s clerks began developing a statewide system based on the pre-existing e-recording system, to meet the mandate for accepting court records. The Florida Courts E-Filing Portal was set up as a mechanism to transport a court document from the filer to the clerk’s office. It provides users with a convenient way to file electronically, replacing the need for courier services or physically traveling to the clerks’ office to file case documents, saving millions of dollars in postage costs.
Over the past 10 years, usage of the E-Filing Portal has grown tremendously – from a handful of users and 6,000 documents filed in 2011 to nearly 350,000 users and more than 25 million documents filed annually. Today, the E-Filing Portal connects more than 220,000 self-represented litigants, 82,000 attorneys, 1,400 judges and other local groups to Florida’s court system, according to the authority.
“The E-Filing Portal has provided great value to the court system and to the people who interact with it,” said Pinellas County Clerk Ken Burke. “Most notably, the E-Filing Portal was built with virtually no taxpayer funding and is available to anyone to use.”
Want to learn more about the 10-Year Anniversary of Florida Courts E-Filing Portal? Check out the two videos:
