Why are the 17th Judicial Circuit and Broward County Clerk implementing eFiling?

The Judiciary and the Clerk are implementing electronic filing to provide the legal community with easy and inexpensive access to the Court.

How does eFiling work?

A filer electronically files documents to the Florida Courts eFiling Portal at www.myflcourtaccess.com. The filing is electronically delivered to the Clerk’s inbox. A filing is considered received by the Clerk upon transmission from the portal to the Clerk’s inbox. The Clerk then reviews the filing and either accepts it or rejects it. If accepted by the Clerk, the filing will be docketed and appear in the Clerk’s case maintenance system and will also be stored in the Court’s case management system. You will receive notice of the Clerk’s action by electronic mail from the Portal. A link for filers to the electronic version of the filing as accepted by the Clerk will be provided in this process.  If you have not received notification of rejection or acceptance within one (1) business day of transmission or have any other questions related to the processing of your filing by the Clerk please send an email to eClerk@browardclerk.org. Please include the ‘reference number’ in the subject line.

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What are the benefits to eFiling?

1. Reduce Expenses: Save on postage, parking, couriers and office supplies.
2. 24 x 7 Filing: File your pleadings even when the Clerk's Office is closed.
3. Pay fees with a credit card: No need to guess the fee and cut a check only to have it returned as an incorrect amount.
4. Expedited Docketing and Confirmation of Acceptance or Rejection: See your pleadings listed on the docket sheet within one business day.
5. Electronic Backup: Benefit from offsite electronic storage of everything you have filed or been served with electronically.

Who eFiles and what cases are eFiled?

Probate/Guardianship/Mental Health

eFiling is permissive in Probate and Guardianship for all existing cases and for case creation. It is also permissible in certain Mental Health cases including Incapacity or Developmentally Disabled Adult cases.

The use of Probate and Guardianship Smart Forms is required for certain filing types and the forms are provided by Broward Court Administration at www.17th.flcourts.org. As new forms are available they will be posted on the Broward Court Administration website. If you are filing a pleading that has an associated smart form, the Clerk will not accept any other document.

For questions or comments about the required forms please send them to efileinfo@17th.flcourts.org

Family

eFiling is available for all Family Division existing cases.

Circuit Civil

Electronic Document Filing (E-Filing) services for Circuit Civil Existing Complex Cases in Divisions 1, 7, 19, 26, 27 and all Existing Cases for Division 9 is available on the Statewide Electronic Filing Portal.

How do I register to eFile?

Effective May 2, 2011, the Broward Clerk of Courts is using the Florida Courts eFiling Portal, developed by the Florida Association of Court Clerks Services Group which has been identified as the statewide eFiling portal.

If you have any questions regarding this portal, please visit the Florida Courts Portal.

New users may register at www.myflcourtaccess.com.

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How do I register a firm account?

Law firm managers should contact the FACC (Florida Association of Court Clerks) at support@myflcourtaccess.com to set up an administrator account. After the account is set up, the law firm administrator can assign or remove registered users to the firm.

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Is special software required?

No, the only requirement is an internet connection and a browser. Results may vary depending on the browser used.

How do I get trained for eFiling?

Upon registering on the Account Registration page, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the Filer Documentation link. This link will display the State of Florida ePortal e-Filer Documentation guide created by the Florida Association of Clerks and Comptrollers (FACC).

Information on eFiling rules, filing and document types, training and other specifics are also on the 17th Circuit 17th Circuit Judiciary’s website.

Will I be able to access the documents that I file?

Once accepted, the filer will be able to access the documents filed. You may download such documents to your computer when provided with the link to the accepted electronic version of the filing after acceptance by the Clerk.

Why do I have to use a specific case number format for eFiling?

You will not be able to file your document if the correct format is not used on the Portal.

The format is as follows: The first characters are the division designation, followed by 2-digit year and case number with leading zeros and dashes between the characters as displayed. You will receive an error message until the correct format is entered. The portal is case sensitive and requires capital letters for the Case Number.

The case number used on the actual document will not change, only the Portal case number format changes.

The Probate Smart Forms require the above format, except with no dashes, i.e. PRC040001234. The forms are hardcoded to only allow 12 characters.

Do the attachments to a motion, opposition or other filings have to be uploaded separately?

Under Court rules, all filings associated with one pleading or paper are one document. Attachments must be included as one document and not uploaded separately. Each document, upon acceptance, will be time stamped and added to the case progress docket.

Why do I have to redact personal identifying information?

Pursuant to Administrative Order IV-06-A-31  redaction of personal identifying information is required in all documents filed in the Probate Division that will be included in the publicly available file.

What about the Notice of Confidential Information?

When filing a Notice of Confidential Information as required by Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420, it must be filed separately.

Do I have to follow up my eFiling with a paper filing?

Follow-up paper filing is not required for filings in Broward County per Authorization for Electronic Filing with the Florida Courts eFiling Portal, dated December 31, 2010.

Certain documents have to be submitted in their original format. Please refer to the 17th Judicial Circuit Administrative Order Establishing Electronic Filing Procedures for more information.

Can a single filing apply to more than one case?

No. Each document electronically filed must be submitted as individual transactions. If cases are not officially consolidated by court order with other cases, any document applying in several cases must be filed in each case. If a case is consolidated with others by court order, then a document can be filed in the lead case. The pleading must indicate that it is a consolidated case and include the consolidated case number.

Can I file multiple pleadings in the same case in the same transaction?

Yes, you may upload several lead documents for the same case number during the eFiling process, not to exceed 25 MB. Each lead document filed is considered a separate transaction and, if accepted, an entry is made on the progress docket of the case. If the filing is rejected you will be notified via electronic mail.

What fees are associated with eFiling?

Pursuant to Florida Supreme Court order, fees cannot be charged for eFiling; only statutorily mandated filing fees can be charged. You will be able to pay filing fees, background investigation and accounting inventory fees, with a credit card or electronic withdrawal from a bank account. The Portal will charge a bank transaction or credit card processing fee for the transaction value as cost recovery, as noted on the financial transaction page in the Portal.

How do I sign my documents?

You may either scan the originally signed document or place a ‘/s/’ in the signature portion of the document prior to eFiling it. You must maintain the originally signed documents in your files for a prescribed period of time. Please refer to the 17th Judicial Circuit Administrative Order Establishing Electronic Filing Procedure for more information.

How can I learn more about eFiling in Broward County?

Information on eFiling rules, filing, document types, training and other specifics are on the 17th Circuit Judiciary’s website or the Broward Clerk's website. These websites will be updated as eFiling starts in additional divisions.

The Clerk of Court staff is not able to give assistance with ePortal registration, ePortal related issues and inquiries.

If you have questions or feedback about the eFiling Portal please send them to support@myflcourtaccess.com

Attorneys may also call the eFiling Portal Support Desk at 850-577-4609.