eCourts File & Serve Will Debut in February
The North Carolina eCourts File & Serve initiative is soon going live in four pilot counties.
On February 13, File & Serve will debut in Wake, Harnett, Lee and Johnston counties. Attorneys and pro se litigants in those counties, in addition to outside attorneys filing cases in the pilot counties, will have to do so via File & Serve. This marks a major milestone in a long-term push to transition the state court system from paper to digital.
“Although eCourts has many components, most members of the bar will primarily engage with eFiling and Portal,” according to the NC Courts website. “Efiling, also known as File & Serve, enables you to file documents electronically through a single, secure, centralized online location.”
File & Serve also allows attorneys to:
- Submit court documents online to the clerk’s office in eCourts counties.
- Pay filing fees that are automatically calculated for you when you submit filings.
- Get a file-stamped copy upon the clerk’s acceptance.
- Receive filing status updates via email.
Go to the NC Courts eFiling page here.
Download eFiling FAQs for attorneys here.
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What to Know about File & Serve
The following is from the NC Courts website:
Who will be required to use eFiling / File & Serve?
Attorneys in the four pilot counties (Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Wake) as well as attorneys in other counties wishing to file cases in the four pilot counties will be required to do so via File & Serve. As additional counties launch Odyssey ICMS, attorneys wishing to file cases in those counties will be required to do so via File & Serve as well. View the Odyssey ICMS rollout schedule.
How do I register for eFiling / File & Serve?
Attorneys and individuals must register for an account to access File & Serve.
Firm Account: Firm Administrator
The firm administrator will set up the firm account and invite the individual users (attorneys, paralegals, legal assistants, etc.) to set up their own accounts. From the landing page, the firm administrator can register for their firm account by creating their individual user account credentials and then adding the firm information. After registering, the firm administrator will receive an email to activate their account.
Firm Account: Individual Users
Firm Account Users include:
- All legal professionals including:
- Solo practitioners
- Attorneys, paralegals, and staff at firms with multiple filers
Individual users in a firm will be invited to create an account within a firm by the firm administrator. Once the firm administrator has added them to the firm account, the user will receive an email to set up their credentials.
Note: Attorneys may be required to enter an attorney number. If you do not have an attorney number from this state, register as an individual.
Individual Account Users
Individual Users of File & Serve include:
- Filers without lawyers (pro-se filers or self-represented litigants)
- Process servers
- Landlords and tenants (renters)
- Pro hac vice or out-of-state attorneys
- Other non-parties (for example, employers filing garnishment information)
These users can register individually for their account here and scrolling down to ‘Register for an Individual Account.’ From there they will set up their account credentials and information. They must fill out all required fields. After submitting, they will receive an email with a link to activate their account.
Are eFiling / File & Serve training materials available?
eFiling Reference Guide - Filer Process
Additional training materials coming soon
Tyler Technologies eFiling basics and training materials
What hardware and software are required for eFiling / File & Serve?
Browser Requirements - Chrome™, Mozilla® Firefox®, Microsoft® Edge®, or Safari®
Operating Systems - Microsoft® Windows®, Linux®, Chrome OS™ Android™, iOS, and OS X®
Recommended Hardware:
- Intel® Core™ i3 or AMD A6 processors with at least a 2.0 GHz clock speed
- 4 GB of RAM
- 1920 x 1080 resolution of both desktop computers and mobile devices
- High-speed Internet connection
- Document Format - Adobe® PDF
For additional information including the portal guide, registration and FAQs, please visit the eCourts page of the NC Courts website.
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