Mandatory eFiling in Cook County, Illinois

• Jul 17, 2018
• Illinois
• by CourtFiling.net

Cook County, Illinois, took a long-awaited step in the direction of technological advancement this year by making electronic court filing (eFiling) mandatory for all civil cases. Illinois’ Supreme Court ruled that legal paperwork must be filed electronically in Cook County as of July 1st, 2018. Laws like these progress our legal system and are considered by many a step towards a more efficient court process.

For lawyers, paralegals, process servers, and other legal professionals, mandatory eFiling in Cook County may seem like an inconvenient workflow change. But there are already verified vendors with filing portals designed to make filing online as easy as ordering from Amazon. Legal professionals who find the right eFiling platform will inevitably experience a more efficient, simplified, and environmentally-friendly system.

User-Friendly eFiling Platforms

To file in Cook County (and other Illinois counties) you will need an Electronic Filing Service Provider (EFSP). A good EFSP will provide a clear, straightforward website and an easy-to-use online portal with all the forms you need. For legal professionals who file in multiple states, it’s a good idea to find an EFSP that will offer electronic filing where required or available across the U.S.

As a subsidiary of Lawgical, the parent company of ServeNow and ServeManager, CourtFiling.net was created as an easy-to-use EFSP for process servers, lawyers, pro se filers, or anyone else who needs it. The CourtFiling.net platform, which is currently available in California and Illinois, will expand its coverage area to any area nationwide requiring electronic filing of legal court documents.

eFiling is an important part of our customers’, and their clients’, workflow. The addition of CourtFiling.net is a perfect fit for our suite of products. We want to offer legal support professionals a low-cost, easy-to-use system that integrates into our current products and helps our customers expand their services to grow their businesses,” said Trent Carlyle, co-founder of Lawgical.

Ultimately, CourtFiling.net will be fully integrated into ServeManager, where documents and affidavits can be filed with a click of a button, eliminating duplicate entry and provide a single interface where process servers and their customers can view the status of their serves, filings, and more.

Civil Case Types and Illinois Active Courts for eFiling

According to the eFileIL site, the following are considered civil court cases: arbitration, chancery, eminent domain, law, law magistrate, miscellaneous remedy, municipal corporation, small claims, tax, adoption, dissolution, family, mental health, and probate. Consult a lawyer with any questions about civil and criminal case types and related filing requirements.

Cook County is not the only location with mandatory eFiling. The following is a list of all active Illinois eFiling courts:

• 1st Appellate District
• 2nd Appellate District
• 3rd Appellate District
• 4th Appellate District
• 5th Appellate District
• Adams
• Alexander
• Bond
• Boone
• Brown
• Bureau
• Calhoun
• Carroll
• Cass
• Champaign
• Christian
• Clark
• Clay
• Clinton
• Coles
• Cook
• Cook
• Crawford
• Cumberland
• DeKalb
• DeKalb
• DeWitt
• Douglas
• Edgar
• Edwards
• Effingham
• Fayette
• Ford
• Franklin
• Fulton
• Gallatin
• Greene
• Grundy
• Hamilton
• Hancock
• Hardin
• Henderson
• Henry
• Iroquois
• Jackson
• Jasper
• Jefferson
• Jersey
• Jo Daviess
• Johnson
• Kane
• Kankakee
• Knox
• Lake
• LaSalle
• Lawrence
• Lee
• Livingston
• Logan
• Macon
• Macoupin
• Marion
• Marshall
• Mason
• Massac
• McDonough
• McLean
• Menard
• Mercer
• Monroe
• Montgomery
• Morgan
• Moultrie
• Ogle
• Peoria
• Perry
• Piatt
• Pike
• Pope
• Pulaski
• Putnam
• Randolph
• Richland
• Rock Island
• St. Clair
• Sangamon
• Saline
• Schuyler
• Scott
• Shelby
• Stark
• Stephenson
• Supreme Court
• Tazewell
• Union
• Vermilion
• Wabash
• Warren
• Washington
• Wayne
• White
• Whiteside
• Will
• Williamson
• Woodford

For legal professionals who embrace technological advancements early, whether required or not, providing services will be easier and new laws won’t come as a shock. Illinois’ decision is only the beginning of an eFiling system that will likely spread across the U.S., and the world. Furthermore, eFiling and using other technology gives businesses a competitive edge, gaining new business and retaining clients who demand security. Get ahead of the curve and start electronically filing wherever you can!

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