MEMORANDUM

TO:               North Carolina Bar Members
 
FROM:         NCAOC Director Andrew T. Heath
 
DATE:           January 31, 2023
 
SUBJECT:     eFiling in eCourts Pilot Counties

Dear North Carolina Bar Member,

I wanted to provide you with notice of some upcoming events related to eCourts that will impact attorneys. The transition to the eCourts pilot will go-live on Monday, February 13 in Harnett, Johnston, Lee, and Wake counties.

Once eCourts is live, eFiling will be required for attorneys for any new filings made in these four counties.

eFiling, also known as File & Serve, enables you to file documents electronically through a single, secure, centralized online location. It also allows you 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.

Attorneys and individuals must register for an account to access File & Serve.

You can learn more by reviewing our eCourts page on our website and clicking on the "I am a member of the Bar" link. Find eFiling registration details, FAQs, and training materials available.

During the transition in pilot counties only until go-live:

• Online Services (citations, payments, etc.) will be unavailable starting February 2 at 5:00 p.m.
• Legacy civil eFiling (Wake) will be unavailable February 8 until go-live.
• Legacy applications go into inquiry-only mode on February 8 at 7:00 p.m. and will be using paper processes until go-live on February 13. Since no updates can be made in legacy applications in pilot counties after this time, any inquiries into these legacy applications will show data as it existed on February 8 at 7:00 p.m.
• All other counties will not be impacted during this transition to eCourts.

We will provide updates and announce when eCourts is live. Thank you for your patience and cooperation during this historic transition for our judicial system.

Best regards,

Andrew T. Heath
NCAOC Director