e-filing The Benefits of E-Filing Legal Documents vs. Hand Filing

Is e-filing legal documents better than hand filing? Most consumers and legal professionals believe e-filing is more practical, efficient, and less costly than hand filing legal documents at the courthouse. Read on to learn more.

E-Filing Legal Documents

With the advancements of internet technology, e-filing is becoming a more common practice amongst courthouses throughout the U.S. Not only has e-filing allowed courthouses to save thousands of dollars in administrative costs, it also has provided more accuracy in tracking legal documents, increased data integrity, and maximized efficiency in managing legal files.

Now, legal professionals and consumers can submit and view legal documents online (in limited jurisdictions) instead of having to drive to the courthouse. This practice is more environmentally friendly and by all means practical.

E-filing also goes hand-in-hand with working alongside legal service firm providers. For instance, some process server providers can now upload their Proof of Service Affidavit through the online e-filing portal. This reduces the time needed to retrieve the document through traditional mail channels, or the time needed to meet with the server to pick up the document personally. Overall, consumer confidence with utilizing online e-filing software continues to grow. How can hand filing legal documents possibly compete with such progressive innovations?

Hand Filing Legal Documents

Most legal professionals and consumers know first-hand how time consuming hand filing legal documents can be. Not only do individuals have to struggle with finding a place to park at the courthouse, but consumers are often subject to standing in line for hours to have certain legal documents date stamped and filed.

For instance, in California, as a result of the budget courts that have spanned the greater part of this past decade, the reduced courthouse staff has caused a great burden on legal professionals and consumers filing court papers. Utilizing e-filing practices not only frees up consumer’s time, but reduces the overhead costs courts have with hand filing documents.

The bottom line is that hand filing legal documents is an age-old practice that will slowly be discontinued as more courthouses throughout the U.S. continue to invest in economically feasible online tools to streamline the filing of legal documents.

Here at Direct Legal Support, Inc., we invite you to contact us about using our e-filing services to file your legal documents online. We provide e-filing services to Southern California residents who have cases pending in Orange and Los Angeles County. Currently, certain legal matters can be filed online, but some still need to be filed by hand at the courthouse. Contact us today for more information.

 

Skip to content