Why eFiling in Madison County

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Every year more and more parts of our lives are moved to digital platforms, and that is no different with the Circuit Clerk’s office.  Over the past year, we have worked with the Illinois Supreme Court to move all of our court filing to e-filing.  Strict benchmarks have been set for what features must be met by the system and dates they must be active by.  We wanted to answer some common questions regarding this new program in hopes you can put it to use for future interactions with the Madison County Circuit Clerk’s Office.

 
What all does e-filing apply to? 

In Madison County, electronic filing applies to all civil case types including filings from self-represented litigants.  All civil filings will be mandatory e-filing December 1, 2017 in Madison County and the entire state becomes mandatory e-filing January 1, 2018.

There are multiple platforms available for e-filing, what is the difference between each?   

Each electronic filing service provider’s software targets certain case types.  Pohlman USA provides electronic filing for Asbestos case types only.  File&Serve Express offers electronic filing services for all civil case types including every type of case from small claims to Asbestos cases.  nCourt was developed primarily for self-represented litigants filing small claims, forcible entry and detainers (evictions) and divorces.  Attorneys who specialize in these case types can also use nCourt.

What made these platforms stand out and be selected for Madison County? 

Madison County has been electronic filing since 2009.  Our county was approved for e-filing as a pilot program in 2008.  At that time after much research, the prior administration chose File&Serve as the electronic filing service provider.  In 2009 the court began e-filing cases that included Asbestos, Civil Law and Arbitration case types.  A contract had been signed with nCourt prior to Mark Von Nida taking office. The software was not working properly. Mark Von Nida and his team worked closely with nCourt to develop a software that met the needs of self-represented litigants.  The Pohlman electronic filing product “MyDocFileServe”, was developed specifically for the Asbestos docket.

Does it cost money to use e-filing? 

No.  File&Serve Express provides valued-added services that the filer can choose to use but it is not mandatory to use these features therefore there is no charge to use e-filing in Madison County.

 

If you have any questions on e-filing in Madison County, please send us a message on Facebook or call 618-692-6240.