E-filing for Attorneys:
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E-Filing Registration Fair - Lower Eastern Shore Counties - Dec. 5, 6, 7, 8. Please note that if you are already registered to efile you do not need to register again. See more. - Are you ready for MDEC?
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Latest updates
December 12, 2016: MDEC Arrives on the Lower Eastern Shore
Maryland Electronic Courts (MDEC) will launch on the Lower Eastern Shore on December 12, 2016. As of that date, mandatory electronic filing, or e-filing, will be in effect for attorneys filing in Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties, as well as appellate filings that begin in those counties. This applies to all attorneys in Maryland who practice in these counties.
The MDEC automated case management system provides an efficient, cost-effective way to file cases or access court filings, while improving the management of records. By the end of 2016, all nine Eastern Shore counties and Anne Arundel County will be operating under MDEC. MDEC launched in October 2014 in Anne Arundel County and in July 2016 on the Upper Eastern Shore (Caroline, Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties).
Please note: Paper filings from attorneys are not accepted in courts where MDEC has launched. For a description of circumstances in which a person may be excused from filing electronically, see Rule 20-106(b).
After the Lower Eastern Shore launches MDEC on December 12, 2016, the next MDEC rollout will be in Southern Maryland. That launch, which includes Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties, is scheduled for June 12, 2017.
July 18, 2016: MDEC Arrives on the Upper Eastern Shore
Maryland Electronic Courts (MDEC) has expanded to the Upper Eastern Shore. The automated case management system provides an efficient and cost-effective way to receive filings while improving the management of records. Attorneys have been filing electronically, or “e-filing,” since October 2014, when MDEC launched in Anne Arundel County. Now, mandatory e-filing also is in effect for attorneys filing in Caroline, Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties, as well as appellate filings that commence in those counties. This applies to all attorneys in Maryland who practice in the aforementioned counties. MDEC also provides attorneys with easy and inexpensive access to court filings.
This completes another phase of the statewide electronic courts rollout. The courts listed above will no longer accept paper filings from attorneys. However, Rule 20-106(b) sets out the circumstances in which a person required to file electronically may be excused from doing so.
March 2016: MDEC Comes to the Upper Eastern Shore on July 18
MDEC will expand to the Upper Eastern Shore on July 18, which will mean the start of mandatory e-filing for attorneys filing cases in Caroline, Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties, as well as appellate filings that commence in those counties. Read more.
March 2016: MDEC Gets a Facelift
Starting April 4, registered attorneys using the Maryland Electronic Courts (MDEC) e-filing feature will see an entirely new look for the software interface. The facelift allows MDEC to transition to an upgraded Odyssey File and Serve feature known as the H5. H5 works seamlessly on all mobile devices (Android or Apple) and supports all browsers — Internet Explorer 10 and 11, Firefox, Chrome and Safari. Read more.
December 2015: Maryland Electronic Courts (MDEC) is Expanding to the Eastern Shore in 2016
E-filing is expanding in 2016 for all attorneys who file cases in the District and Circuit courts in Caroline, Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties, as well as appellate filings that commence in those counties. In order to utilize e-filing and other new system features, attorneys will need basic training on how to access the system and how to file their documents electronically.
See more about MDEC and e-filing on this site.
September 28, 2015: Notice as Required by Rule 20-106(d)(5) Regarding Processing Paper Submissions and Destruction of Paper Submissions After Scanning
Rule 20-106(d)(5) provides that the State Court Administrator must notify the public regarding destruction of paper filings that have been scanned into the MDEC system. See Notice.
Monday, August 3, 2015: Attorneys now must e-file criminal and traffic cases in Anne Arundel County
Effective Monday, August 3, 2015, mandatory e-filing for criminal and traffic pleadings began for all attorneys in Maryland who are filing in Anne Arundel County. This includes District Court, Circuit Court, and appellate filings at the Court of Special Appeals and the Court of Appeals that originated in Anne Arundel County. These courts no longer will accept paper filings from attorneys in Anne Arundel County cases. (Mandatory e-filing by attorneys in non-criminal pleadings in Anne Arundel County has been in effect since October 14, 2014.)
NOTE: Nonpayment of rent cases are exempt from electronic filing until further notice. For more information, see the alert.
To help attorneys and their support staff get ready, the Maryland Judiciary hosted criminal e-filing preview sessions the first week of June 2015. Topics included the e-filing portal, the new MDEC secure portal, victim and witness entry application, and the secure Case Search functionalities. Approximately 280 attorneys and support staff from the Office of the State’s Attorney, Office of the Public Defender and private firms took part in the event. To help you prepare, the Judiciary offers webinars and tutorials on e-filing.