One of the smoothest releases yet, with no service interruptions, Superior Court of Maricopa County enables e­-Filing for Tax Cases & Process Servers, improving services and lowering costs. And there’s even more e-­Court services coming soon! This marks Arizona’s continued journey towards a 100% paperless court system.

Arizona’s Journey Towards 100% Paperless Court System

The Maricopa County Superior Court is one of several organizations using the award­ winning e­-Court software, TurboCourt. The AZTurboCourt platform is already mandated for all Civil Case e-­Filings, and in October 2014 Arizona Court Leaders expanded their AZTurboCourt offering by adding two new services:

  1. Tax e-­Filing – Including property assessments, sales tax appeals, and more
  2.  Process Server e­-Filing – Now allowing Process Servers to e­-file online

These new services are easy to use, save time, reduce costs, and prove beneficial for court staff and constituents alike. The Project Team raves it was one of the smoothest software releases yet, noting the absence of any user complaints or service interruptions. Read on to learn about the challenges faced, the solutions deployed, and the results achieved.

CHALLENGES

Prior to adding AZTurboCourt’s Tax e-­Filing feature, attorneys either used Maricopa County’s e­-Filing platform or filed in person at the courthouse. Meanwhile, all Civil Case types were being e­-filed through AZTurboCourt.

Similarly, Process Servers had to file documents in­-person at the counter, or e­-file through the attorneys they assisted. The mixture of paper and electronic filings on disparate platforms led to inefficiencies for court staff, and there were opportunities to improve the system.

SOLUTIONS

On November 3rd, Arizona Supreme Court Administrative Order No. 2014 – 99 made it mandatory for all Tax Cases to be initiated on the AZTurboCourt platform. Expanding the e-­Court platform to encompass Tax Case types, not just Civil Cases, is another step towards a completely paperless court system, where in all case types can be filed electronically.

Maricopa County Superior Court also went live with e­-Filing for Process Servers, which enables Process Servers to electronically file affidavit of service documents more quickly and securely, and allows parties to electronically track service while eliminating paper processing by court staff.

“AZTurboCourt has been serving litigants and courts in the state of Arizona with virtually no interruptions since 2010. This successful public-­private partnership has resulted in the development of a unique and effective electronic filing system for our courts,” according to Mike Baumstark, Deputy Administrative Director, Arizona Administrative Office of the Courts. Baumstark went on to share that, “In recognition of our joint success, we have extended our work agreement through at least 2019.”

RESULTS

Tax e­-Filing on AZTurboCourt went into production on October 13th, 2014. The Arizona Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) reports it was one of the smoothest software releases yet, proudly explaining that no user complaints or issues arose.

By consolidating Tax Cases onto the same platform used for Civil Case types, court staff experienced productivity gains from the streamlined, automated case submission process. The newfound efficiencies empowered Court Managers to redirect staff to other important tasks.

Court Officials are excited about the future of this technology innovation in the Arizona Tax Court, in part because of the upcoming wave of seasonal filings. While other case types typically see a steady volume throughout the year, the number of Tax Cases initiated naturally peaks, on Dec 15th. In the weeks following that date, filings on those cases typically reach an all­-time high. The Arizona Supreme Court Administrative Office is confident that AZTurboCourt will more than handle the caseload.

Arizona Administrative Office of the Courts’ move to enable e­-Filing for Process Servers, is expected to save court resources by limiting the time required to scan documents, reducing paperwork delays and providing faster access to documents; the closer to a 100% paperless system, the better for all Arizona Courts and other institutions across the country.

Arizona Supreme Court and Arizona Administrative Office of the Courts plan to continue the journey towards 100% paperless court system with other courts throughout the state. Pima County (currently in pilot phase) is planning for general release in Spring 2015.

“The TurboCourt Team is proud to have served Arizona Supreme Court Administrative Office since 2009, and we are eager to facilitate even more expansion of e­-Court services to Arizona constituents in the coming months/years,” stated Tania Wasser, Co­Founder and CEO of Intresys, the developers of TurboCourt.

About Intresys

Intresys is a leading software and services company specializing in e­0Government solutions using its production­tested technology to help clients generate revenue, optimize efficiency and deliver effective e-Court services to constituents. In 2000, Intresys emerged as a market leader with the introduction of it’s flagship product, TurboCourtTM, which provides attorneys, law firms, government filers and self­ represented litigants access to electronic filing solutions, and by automating case intake and processing for courts and agencies in state and local governments.

TurboCourt is a private cloud­based, interactive intelligent platform (SaaS) empowering the constituent and agency to conduct e­ Government commerce including document preparation, assembly and access, electronic filing, service, online payments, notifications & alerts, and more. TurboCourt features exclusive interactive virtual guided interview technology that has proven to automate any complex data intake process.

Questions? Comments? Please visit us online or contact us at: customerservice@turbocourt.com.

For media inquiries, please contact Michelle Pizzo at: PR@intresys.com or 650-­479­-4589.