Court sets e-filing, e-service deadlines: 'A significant and important step toward our goal of a fully electronic court system'.

Before the end of next year, Florida lawyers will be required to electronically file their court documents and use email to exchange documents and serve other parties in litigation.

The Florida Supreme Court on June 21 issued two opinions adopting procedural rule amendments that set deadlines for e-filing with the courts and for using email for parties to exchange case documents.

The rulings formalize a massive change in courts, transitioning to use as little paper as possible, and the reverberations are expected to have a major impact on law firms, which will have to adjust to the electronic operations of the courts.

The opinions were praised by Bar Board of Governors member Laird Lile, who also serves on the Supreme Court's Florida Courts Technology Commission overseeing the technological overhaul of the courts.

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"The practice of law continues to evolve. With the coming of age of e-filing and service by email, the practice of law in Florida takes great strides into the electronic age," Lile said. "I am confident the Bar and the commission will deploy resources so that every member of The Florida Bar has an opportunity to acquire the knowledge necessary to exist in this new e-world. Of course, the members also have an obligation to be prepared when service by email becomes mandatory on September 1, 2012, and e-filing is required in 2013."

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(Separately from the e-filing and email service rulings, the court recently approved an amendment, which was effective July 1, requiring lawyers with business email addresses to file those with the Bar. See story on page 1.)

The court required that electronic filing in appellate cases for the five district courts of appeal and the Supreme Courts will be mandatory as of October 1 of this year. (The Supreme Court began accepting voluntary e-filings on July 2.)

E-filing in the trial courts for civil, probate, small claims, and family divisions will be required as of April 1, 2013. E-filing in criminal, traffic, and juvenile divisions of the trial court will be required as of October 1, 2013.

About 50 counties are currently able to accept civil filings in all divisions. The Florida Court E-Filing Authority, in a supplemental filing with the Supreme Court, said it expects all counties to be able to accept all civil filings by March 1, 2013. The authority oversees the Internet portal through which e-filings are done. Court clerks have said they hope to be ready to...