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***** Alert ***** |
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The District Judges of McLennan County, Texas have
entered a Standing Order Regarding Children, Property and Conduct of the Parties.
This order applies to all divorce petitions and suits affecting parent-child relationships,
(except AG initiated case and CPS cases), filed after
May 5, 2008. A copy of the Order is
here.
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McLennan County began accepting
documents by e-filing in December of 2005.
The filing of paper pleadings with the court imposes significant burdens on the
court's personnel and facilities. Legal firms and their clients also incur costs
for the delivery and processing of these documents. To assist in reducing costs,
saving time and conserving our natural resources, the District Clerk’s office of
McLennan County joined the growing number of counties in accepting civil pleadings
by e-filing.
E-Filing Local Rules
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What is E-Filing? |
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TexasOnline developed
eFiling in an effort to address the expanding needs of a globally dispersed legal
community, increased processing costs, and reduce paper document tracking and storage.
The TexasOnline Authority approved electronic filing in July of 2002, and the service
was developed and provided in conjunction with the Judicial Committee on Information
Technology (JCIT), the Office of Court Administration (OCA), and the Office of the
Attorney General.
E-filing is filing pleadings by e-mail through contracts with an electronic service
provider who contracts with the TexasOnline Authority. For those pleadings requiring that costs be paid, the costs are calculated
in a simple procedure on-line. McLennan County charges $2.00 per submission for
the documents that are filed in addition to any court costs for the filing. Payment is guaranteed through the electronic
service provider. Under the electronic
filing rules adopted by McLennan County you may serve the other parties to the proceeding
by e-mail.
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Getting Started for Attorneys |
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TexasOnline is where you get information about how to file pleadings electronically.
You will actually register and file through a certified Electronic Filing Service
Provider (EFSP). EFSPs are competing commercial vendors with their own websites.
Choose one from this list and register to eFile on their site. Select an
Electronic Filing Service Provider.
Parties
who need to be served electronically by other participants in a case can set up
a complimentary account with TexasOnline. This account will not allow you to file
- you still need an EFSP to do that. If you want this option, click on this link:
registering
with eFiling for Courts.
Whether
you register with an EFSP or through TexasOnline, you will need to submit a valid
email address. Upon completion of registration, additional instructions will be
emailed to you. The email address is also used to send electronic notifications
confirming that your filings have been processed by the clerk.
The EFSP
assists you in filing with the participating counties.
Please
note that each county has separate local rules that must be observed.
See a list of participating counties.
You may
also update your profile information through
TexasOnline Filer Services.
As a registered
filer, you also have the option of being served electronically in your cases. You
must file the eService Opt-In form separately for every case in which you want to
receive electronic service of copies. To receive eService for a case, follow these
steps:
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Download the
eService Opt-In Form (PDF)
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Fill in your information
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File the eService Opt-In Form with the participating Jurisdiction |
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Update your eService profile through your EFSP or through TexasOnline Filer Services |
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Your EFSP and local Clerk can also help you with this process. |
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Advantages for Attorneys |
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eFiling enables filers to submit documents online, and to receive a response from
the judicial community as to the status of their filing. TexasOnline eFiling will
enable Filers to file with multiple courts using a service provider of their choice
- no need to learn multiple systems for each court. Online submission reduces operational
costs and creates opportunities for better customer service. Other advantages include:
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1. |
24/7/365 filing - Eliminates racing the clock to the clerk's
office
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Cheaper and faster than mail and delivery services |
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Online status ensures that the document was received and
allows you to track actions taken |
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4. |
Flexible payment options - use existing corporate or personal
credit cards to submit payment
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5. |
Single, safe and secure eFile portal |
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Attach messages and instructions upon document submittal
to the Clerk |
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Electronic Service Providers
TexasOnline Electronic Service Providers are found by clicking
here. |
Participating Counties
Counties participating in eFiling are found by clicking
here
(will take you to Texas Online's updated list) or by viewing the list of counties
we know of below (in alphabetical order): |