Electronic case filings for “AR”, “CH”, “L”, “LM” and “TX” case types are now fully integrated with the Odyssey Case Management System from Tyler Technologies. Other case types will follow in a timely manner leading up to the Jan. 1, 2018 deadline imposed by the Illinois Courts, the Kane County Circuit Clerk’s Office reports.

Benefits of integrated electronic filing to the courts will include considerable savings of manpower and man-hours as the need for physical handling, storage and security of paper documents declines. One projection is that the average court house can save 5,000 reams of paper — the equivalent of about 300 trees — per year.

“For the legal community, electronic case filing transforms one of the most time consuming and tedious tasks facing law offices, document processing and filing, and streamlines the process,” says Circuit Clerk Tom Hartwell. “Our legal community will save time, travel and costs.”

Integration of electronic case filing with the Odyssey case management system means all documents are filed through a centralized and secure online location. Instant online credit card transactions handle any applicable fees and apportion those payments automatically to a variety of appropriate funds. In most cases, filers are assigned a judge, courtroom and court date.

Overall, the process eliminates manual data entry and previously routine document processing, such as date and certification stamping, document scanning and file library services. Easy document tracking, reporting and auditing at every point in the process provides additional efficiencies.

Illinois Courts have issued a mandate that all counties in Illinois adopt and use electronic case filing for civil cases by Jan. 1, 2018. Kane County is on schedule to meet or beat the court imposed deadline, Hartwell said.

“We began with “L” case types, and have now also fully integrated “AR”, “CH”, “LM” and “TX” case types since going live with this initiative,” advises Clerk Hartwell. “Over the weeks ahead, we will open the system to additional case types until the full set of 14 civil case types accepted in the 16^th Judicial Circuit is online and fully integrated with the Odyssey case management system.”

“Training videos and materials are already available on how to use electronic case filing in Kane County,” Hartwell added. “Classes will also be offered in cooperation with the Kane County Bar Association and supplemented by training programs scheduled through my office.”

Illinois case filers have their choice of electronic filing service providers through the eFileIL initiative. Odyssey eFileIL is one of several approved providers listed by the Illinois Courts at their web page. All approved providers are configured to be fully integrated with Kane County’s Odyssey case management system.

The Circuit Clerk’s Office invites court system users to visit this website page for more information about how to register for electronic case filing. Interested parties can also subscribe to the Circuit Clerk’s new email update program by visiting the “contact us” area of the circuit clerk’s website. Mobile users can simply text CIRCUITCLERK to 22828. Questions may be posed by emailing circuitclerk@co.kane.il.us.

The Kane County Circuit Clerk’s office and the 16^th Judicial Circuit Court process more than 25,000 case files each month and the Circuit Clerk’s Office handles 6,000 phone inquiries per month from citizens, court officials and attorneys. The office of Kane County Circuit Clerk Tom Hartwell is located in the Kane Branch Court building at 540 S. Randall Road, St. Charles, just north of Route 38.

SOURCE: Kane County Circuit Clerk’s Office news release