Judging by the numbers, Oregon eCourt is a success.  In February, March, and April of this year an average of 65,666 documents were filed electronically using the Odyssey eFile and Serve system:  Easy-Peasy or a Bumpy Ride?

The transition from paper-based filing to eFiling hasn’t been easy.

A record number of Oregon lawyers went inactive or resigned from the bar in December 2014/January 2015, leading some to speculate that mandatory eFiling drove veteran members to retire sooner than originally planned.

Why might that be?  eFiling requires an investment of time and money. To succeed, eFilers need to know the rules, understand the technology, subscribe to OJIN/OJCIN, and buy a decent scanner and PDF conversion software.

Rejection Rates

For those who persevered, kudos to you!   Of the 197,000 filings in February, March, and April of this year, less than 10% were rejected.  Bottom line: Oregon lawyers [or their staff] are getting it right.

New Policy and Standards for Acceptance of Electronic Filings

Effective July 1, 2015 Chief Justice Balmer signed Chief Justice Order 15–026, which adopts the OJD Policy and Standards for Acceptance of Electronic Filings in the Oregon Circuit Courts [dated May 22, 2015]:

Statewide standards for the acceptance of electronic filings are intended to provide clear consistent guidance to practitioners and courts on the proper use of the OJD eFiling system (File and Serve). The standards are grouped into two broad categories: (1) how to properly use the system from a technical perspective to ensure acceptance of eFiled documents, and (2) compliance with Uniform Trial Court Rules (UTCR) Chapter 21 or ORCP 9E.

These standards will help educate eFilers on the correct usage of File and Serve to provide them with a high quality experience, support consistent statewide messages to accompany returned electronic filings with instructions on how to cure the error, and allow the Oregon Judicial Department (OJD) and eFilers to achieve the full benefits of an electronic filing system.

The policy and standards are available here.

New Supplemental User Guide for eCourt

OJD has also released a new Supplemental User Guide.  This document provides descriptions of the most common mistakes made by eFilers and step-by-step directions for fixing them.  It is a must-read for all lawyers and staff who use the Odyssey eFile and Serve system.

Free Training for Odyssey eFile and Serve

You can still sign up for free training Webinars with Odyssey eFile and Serve. Tyler Technologies, the vendor for Odyssey eFile and Serve, offers both recorded and live sessions here.

UTCR Amendments Coming

Next week, I will review the proposed amendments to UTCR 5.100, which affect orders and judgments.

[All Rights Reserved Beverly Michaelis 2015]