Electronic filing (e-filing) is the process of filing legal documents with courts and other government and nongovernment entities (arbitration administrators) electronically—often through a website—rather than mailing or delivering paper copies of the documents to be filed.
In Texas, electronic filing (e-filing) has become the standard method for submitting legal documents to courts. The Texas Supreme Court mandated e-filing for civil cases in district courts, statutory probate courts, constitutional county courts, and statutory county courts beginning with the largest counties in 2014 and gradually including all counties by July 1, 2016. This system is managed through an online portal called 'eFileTexas'. Through this portal, attorneys and self-represented litigants can file documents to the appropriate court. The e-filing system is intended to increase efficiency, reduce paper waste, and streamline the legal process. Specific rules and procedures for e-filing are outlined in the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. While e-filing is predominantly used for civil cases, some criminal cases in certain jurisdictions may also use e-filing systems. It's important to note that each court may have specific requirements and guidelines for e-filing, so users must familiarize themselves with the local rules of the court where they are filing.
