Frequently Asked Questions About e-Filing
Who can e-File?
Any person who registers as a filer in the Franklin County Probate Court’s e-Filing System and agrees to abide by the Court’s Administrative Order can e-File, unless otherwise ordered by the Court. Customers without the capability to e-File will be provided support by a Deputy Clerk of Court on a walk-in basis during the Court’s regular business hours of Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. All pleadings requiring a new case number or the payment of Court costs shall be filed by 4:30 p.m.
Do I need special software to e-File?
You will need the ability to save your documents into Portable Document Format (PDF) and MS Word (.doc, .docx) for proposed orders/entries. Microsoft Office 2007 and 2010 provide this capability. Various free software downloads that enable PDF conversion are available through the Internet.
Do I need special hardware to e-File?
A computer, Internet connection and an e-mail address are needed to e-File. In order to file documents that are not in PDF or MS Word (.doc, .docx) format you may need an optical scanner.
Can I e-File all Probate Court case types?
Civil cases are the first case types in Phase I of the e-Filing Project. The Court will roll out e-Filing for additional case types in Phase II and Phase III. Adoption cases will begin e-Filing in February, 2012, followed by Mental Commitment cases in June, 2012. Additional case types will be implemented based on feedback from the public, including attorneys, litigants and paralegals.