Effective April 15, the San Diego Superior Court will require that filings submitted by attorneys for represented parties in all Limited and Unlimited Civil or Probate matters be filed electronically. This new mandatory e-filing requirement comes after being introduced as an option in these case types in 2013 and is the latest phase in the Court’s Electronic Filing and Imaging Pilot Program. In the most recent previous phase,the list of court-approved e-filing service providers was expanded in October 2020. Self-represented litigants are not required to electronically file documents but are encouraged to do so.

Benefits of e-filing documents include not having to come in person to the courthouse, particularly during the current COVID-19 pandemic, which has seen a drastic shift to remote services for court users. With e-filing, litigants can securely submit filings via personal computers and ensure all documents related to the filing arrive at the court together. Documents submitted via e-filing can be honored for the same court day if received before 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time) on court days.

“We’ve seen that e-filing is the wave of the future for accepting court documents. It’s faster and more convenient for litigants and it decreases the processing time required of court staff,” said Mike Roddy, San Diego Superior Court CEO. “We’ve become a leaner organization over the years and as we continue to work through the COVID-19 pandemic, expanding e-filing makes sense to both minimize the need to come to court in person and also maximize efficiencies.”

E-filing is governed by General Order No. 010121-22 (A) and the Court’s Electronic Filing Requirements, both of which are available on the Court’s website at sdcourt.ca.gov.