Oakland County, Michigan, Wednesday, January 3, 2007 -- An eFiling project requiring attorneys to file documents electronically was expanded today to include three more Circuit judges, announced Ruth Johnson, Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds.

"It's an exciting day for our office and for the judges," said Johnson. "We're on the cutting edge with this technology and it's time to take it to the next level."

The program will affect about 800 current cases and some new cases assigned to Chief Judge L. Wendy Potts, Judge Fred M. Mester and Judge Colleen A. O'Brien. Only certain types of civil cases are included in the program - negligence, medical malpractice, personal injury cases, labor relations cases and contract disputes.

The eFiling project, a joint effort of the Clerk's Office, the Circuit Court and the county's Information Technology Department, began August 1, 2007 in the courtroom of Oakland Circuit Judge Michael Warren.  The system, provided by the Florida-based Wiznet, allows documents to be both field and served on opposing parties electronically toward the goal of creating "paperless" courtrooms.

To date, more than 1,500 documents have been filed electronically. More than 2,500 attorneys and their staff members, from 800 law firms, are registered to use the eFiling system. Training is offered online, at the county or off-site at legal firms.

"This proven technology is in keeping with our 'online, not in-line" philosophy," Johnson said. "Everybody wins - our lines are shorter for people who do have to come to the county, our work load can be distributed more efficiently and it saves many customers a trip to the courthouse."

The program has been called a model for the effective administration of justice for courts across the country. The system is dependable and secure, with several backup systems in place.

"I am very pleased to have my court participate in the environmentally friendly eFiling system," said Judge Colleen O'Brien. "EFiling will promote efficiency and cost-savings for all those who utilize the court system."

The cost of implementing the eFiling pilot program has been the investment of time by Circuit Court, Clerk's Office and IT staff. Law offices will pay $5-8 for each filing, which should pay for the efiling system within one to two years.

"Just the savings on paper alone means about 5,000 reams of paper or 300 trees a year," Johnson said.