The 29th District Court in Wayne has stepped into the electronic age.
The court will soon implement the MiFILE system, noted Judge Breeda O'Leary, which will allow the electronic filing of documents in any Michigan court, 24 hours a day, without traveling to a courthouse and waiting in line. The statewide e-filing program also allows parties to electronically serve one another with documents and electronically receive notifications and documents from the courts, O'Leary said in a prepared statement.
The statewide system is an initiative sponsored by the Michigan Supreme Court and the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO).
Since 2014, the Michigan Supreme Court and SCAO have been working toward the creation and implementation of this type of statewide e-filing solution. Michigan Court Rules have been changed to support e-filing and aid in the change from paper forms and documents to electronic documents. Standards have also been established to make sure the experience for the filer and the courts are consistent and reliable, O'Leary said.
“This e-filing initiative provides a landmark opportunity to increase access to justice, allows flexibility to litigants, and enables courts to become more efficient by reducing the need to receive, process, store, and retrieve paper files,” she said.
In 2018, MiFILE was successfully implemented in three courts, the 22nd Circuit Court in Washtenaw County), the 37th District Court in the City of Warren, and the Ottawa County Probate Court. These courts have assisted in the development and expansion of the original version of MiFILE, allowing SCAO to create a model for the entire state. Significant changes have been made to the program since 2018, with the focus of product development and implementation shifting to best onboard and serve all of Michigan's 315 court locations, O'Leary explained.
The 29th District Court is expected to go live with MiFILE this summer. Once live, attorneys will be mandated to e-file as required by Michigan Court Rule 1.109(G)(3)(f). Self-represented parties may participate in the e-filing program but will not be required to do so. Filers can learn more about MiFILE on the Michigan Courts website Filer Information page or read the MiFILE Quick Reference Guide. In addition, there are video tutorials to help filers familiarize themselves with the e-filing process available online on the MiFILE YouTube Channel, noted the prepared release from O'Leary's office.
