Time is Money: eFiling Saves Both

"A lawyer's time is his stock and trade." - Abraham Lincoln

Over the last 10 years, the use of technology in law firms has changed dramatically; case management systems, document management systems, eFiling, online legal research, and smart phones are all time-saving resources that increase the bottom line by reducing costs, increasing efficiency and improving productivity.

In particular, eFiling is finding rapid adoption with courts throughout the nation and is changing the way law firms do business both from an efficiency and technology perspective. Since the first eFiling in Texas through CaseFileXpress in Fort Bend County on May 1, 2003, the regular use of eFiling has spread to more than 85 jurisdictions statewide, and monthly and daily eFiling milestones are constantly increasing. More courts are looking into mandating eFiling as implementation provides immediate budgetary savings. However, law firms are still slow to adopt. Why? In most cases, the slow adoption rate is blamed on the cost of eFiling.

Does eFiling truly cost more than traditional filing? In this case study, CaseFileXpress set about to answer this question, exploring the details of how eFiling can save time and money for law firms. This case study was initially compiled in 2004 based on data collected from Texas Paralegal Journal (TPJ) reader surveys, and has been updated to reflect current billing rates and costs associated with filing documents with the court.