Dec. 21, 2016 – The prospect of wintry Wisconsin weather gives pause to even the most seasoned of Northwoods residents. Leverage the e-filing system to eliminate that slippery courthouse commute and enjoy the snow from the comfort of your office. And with the mandatory implementation in full swing, there's never been a better time to give e-filing a try, suggests the Director of State Courts Office, Office of Court Operations.

New E-filing Enhancements

Check out some of the most recent system enhancements:

• increased access to electronic documents, including redacted documents when applicable and transcripts during the appeals process;

• nonparty filers now can e-file documents requiring the signature of a court official (mediation agreements, etc.) and will receive email updates relaying the status of their filing;

• notification emails sent to attorneys now include the attorney's name so recipients can easily distinguish who the email is intended for;

• electronically file civil cases – Other Extraordinary Writ (30707); and

• the email confirming an attorney has withdrawn from a circuit court case now provides the withdrawn attorney a link to the signed order.

There are a number of appealing features currently under development. A few that will be released over the next several weeks are:

• the ability to file additional documents along with the Notice of Retainer when requesting entry onto a case;

• the expansion of the court e-filing fee waiver for court-appointed attorneys to all case types;

• the addition of forms necessary to initiate the appeals process; and

• newly engineered file preparation and case view options to provide direct access for paralegals and assistants using unique user accounts.

What’s Ahead for 2017

Another 15 counties will begin mandatory e-filing in early 2017 for civil, family, paternity, and small claims cases. Mandatory e-filing for criminal, traffic, and forfeiture cases will begin March 1, 2017, for all counties where mandatory civil and family e-filing have already been implemented. You can get the list of scheduled counties and read other e-filing news here.