Florida e-Filing Updates
20. Jan, 2011 
8 Comments
Florida e-Filing
I recently reported that Florida Courts started allowing attorneys to eFile documents for many of the areas and counties around the state.
We decided to dig a little deeper and make a few phone calls to some of my contacts and see exactly what other information I could find about the e-filing operation directly from the source.
I got in contact with various individuals that really gave me a lot of additional information that was really beneficial.
Here is a quick summary of the important things that we I have uncovered so you can see how you can get involved now with Florida eFiling at this point in time.
Miami-Dade County eFiling Update
Here is what’s going on with e-Filing in Miami-Dade.
They launched the private beta-testing stage on January 6, 2011- As of January 31, 2011 Miami-Dade e-Filing is officially launched to the public
- Miami-Dade is the only county that is no longer in the “Phase In” process
- They are now accepting pleadings from previously filed cases in Circuit Civil, County, Domestic Relations (Family), Probate and Juvenile Dependency cases
- Click here to download a document that outlines what types of pleadings you can submit on a county by county basis
I spoke with Mr. Harvey Ruvin (Miami Dade Clerk Of Courts) early last week and received a copy of a document from him which outlines everything that’s going with e-Filing in Miami-Dade County specifically.
The “2011 Electronic Filing Initiative” PDF Answers many of your questions like:
What is the ePortal?- Can I file for all cases?
- What cases may be eFiled?
- Does the ePortal support pro-se filers?
- How do I register through the ePortal?
- What hardware or software do I need to eFile?
- What entity has mandated the phasing and timing of eFiling?
- Who is allowed to use eFiling (tittle companies, law firms, business, etc.)?
- What document types does the ePortal support?
- Are there limitations to the size of the document I can submit?
- How will users of the ePortal be authenticated?
- What do I have to use a specifics case number format for eFiling?
- Do I have to follow up with eFiling with a paper filing?
- Can a single filing apply to more than one case?
- Can I file mutiple pleadings in the same case in the same transaction?
- Will there be any charges for users of the ePortal?
- How will the ePortal store the filing time and time stamping of the filings?
Click the image below to download a PDF that outlines the answers to all these questions!
Other Florida Counties:
Right Now They Are…
- Just starting the process as it began on January 1, 2011
- Have currently only enlisted the following counties in the Florida e-Filing phase in process: Lake, Columbia, Duval, Gulf, Holmes, Lee , Putnam, and Walton counties
- Monitoring the progress and the systems to see how they are going to manage the work flow
- Not sure what the issues are going to arise so they are trying to basically identify these issues and work out the kinks
- Going to give counties 90 days to allow certain attorneys to submit pleadings on line and personally during this beta testing stage
- Limiting it into test groups in most counties that can be as little as 2 to 3 attorneys
- Allowing others to participate in the beta testing group but you have to be a bar attorney, be registered with the Florida Bar, and you also get invited
- Some of the courts are going to allow all types of cases to be filed while others are only going to allow certain types of cases. It’s a county-to-county decision making scenario
- In the future they will allow partners to join so that companies for example like our own here Judicial Process & Support can file on behalf of attorneys if they don’t have that capability in house (This feature is not enabled and is not being permitted as of yet)
Next Phase of Florida e-Filing Counties
As stated above only various counties are phasing in Florida e-Filing. Some counties are in a second batch and will soon begin their pilot e-filing through the portal soon. The board approved adding those counties in the coming weeks. These counties are Broward, Orange, Marion, Collier, Franklin, Jackson, and Leon counties.
How To Get Access To Florida e-Filing
Here’s how to get access to the current e-Filing system (if your not in Miami-Dade County).
e-Filing Next Steps
- To get invited into the beta testing all you have to do is contact your local court system and find the person in charge of the Florida eFiling system within that court
- Ask to see if you qualify or your attorney qualifies
- Proceed with the sign up process as they guide you
I should let you know that this varies by location and by court house as each has its own discretion during this preliminary beta-stage.
This is a work in progress and they are limiting the participation of who is involved, but you can get involved if you want to, qualify and are approved.
What happens now is that they are going to review this entire process and eventually they are going to open this up to all types of cases, in all the counties, and it will be a system-wide scenario. This will allow everyone to access these case filings on line, view them, check them out and essentially create a hub for Florida and Florida Court Cases.
Essentially the reasoning for this transition is that they are trying to reduce the amount of people that are filing cases at physical locations.
How To Get Help From Me Personally
-
Maria J. Gutierrez
If you have any questions simply email me at Maria@JudicialSupport.com and my office coordinator Jairo will get in touch to set up an free informative consultation and mastermind session
- You can also call my team at 305-347-3353 and we will mail you any information we have as well as answer any questions
- In addition we are also going to continue to keep you updated with the latest up-to-date information that you can put to use right here on the blog.
- I am doing a ‘Lunch and Learn’ tour in the South Florida area. If your law firm or organization is interested in getting free information and training from one of South Florida’s foremost legal support expert, simply call our office at 305-347-3353.
Hi, I'm Maria J.Gutierrez - 
Great information. We have all been waiting for this news for a long time…
I appreciate your time, efforts and hard work. Thank you.
Good information. Since we are located in the middle of the State this will certainly let us get our documents filed on time without relying on snail mail. Thanks for keeping us updated. As of yesterday, Seminole County is accepting e-filings.
Love the updates! Continue to keep us posted.
Maria,
This information is fabulous! I forwarded to those attorneys who practice in Dade and Broward, and they had no idea of the progress on this issue. Thanks for helping keep the legal community up to date!!
Brenda
Very interesting Maria…As a long time member of the legal support community out here in CA, it’s fascinating to see the similarities between Floria and California. Just last year, my company, One Legal, became the first vendor in CA to implement a true eFiling solution (for Orange Co. Superior Court) and we hope to get many more CA courts to embrace the “way of eFiling.” Go Florida and California!
Today I did my first e-filing and boy was I relieved that I finally crossed over that bridge. It’s not as difficult as I thought it would be. I think there are still some glitches that need to be corrected, but once we get used to using the system, and the court fixes the little set-backs, it will be a breeze. Maria from Judicial stopped by my office and helped me out. She actually held my hand while I prepared my document, had the attorney sign it, scanned and tried to file. We even processed a rejection from the court on our first try, so without trying too hard, we got all the possible scenarios out of the way. At the end we got it right and my document was filed. Thanks Maria for all of your help!
Hi Maria! Are ALL the Miami-Dade County Judges currently participating in the new e-filing program?
Thanks so much Maria!!! I look forward to your emails, extremely informative. You are a reliable resource. Please continue to post the updates.