The Tennessee Supreme Court has adopted a revised Rule 46, which will help pave the way for electronic filing of cases in the state appellate courts.
E-filing will allow parties to submit documents via a web-based system, instead of delivering papers manually to the clerk’s offices. E-filing is used in federal courts, and only Shelby County Circuit and Chancery courts have e-filing in place today. Davidson County has plans to put e-filing in place next year as well.
The rule mostly covers technical and logistical issues, such as who is authorized to use the system, timing, deadlines, format of documents and fees.
“Making changes to the rule is just one in a series of steps that will help our courts use technology to its fullest potential to better meet the needs of our citizens,” said Chief Justice Sharon Lee. “We continue to hear feedback from attorneys that e-filing is needed in our courts, and the appellate courts are looking forward to answering the call for improved technology and efficiency.”
The revised Rule 46 replaces a version adopted in 2006 that envisioned a voluntary e-filing period, followed by a determination of whether to make e-filing mandatory. The amended rule envisions a similar progression of events, with a view toward adopting mandatory e-filing in the future.
Read the complete text of Rule 46 here.