Supreme Court issues order to require electronic filing in district courts

TOPEKA—The Kansas Supreme Court released an order today to reinstate electronic filing requirements in district courts.
 
Administrative Order 2024-CC-006, which takes effect January 31, requires attorneys and other efiling users to electronically file in cases that exist in the Kansas Courts eFiling system, except for appeals to the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court.
 
The order also requires all new cases to be initiated through the efiling system, except those that are appeals to the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court. 
 
“With our information systems restored in district courts, it’s time we return to our standard rules of operation, both for clarity and to aid our recovery,” Chief Justice Marla Luckert said. “The order provides impetus to file electronically when it’s possible, and it’s possible in many cases.”
 
Electronic filing under Rules 122 and 122A
 
Beginning January 31, efiling users must resume electronic filing in district courts under provisions in Supreme Court Rules 122 and 122A, for new cases and for existing cases, if the case is in the Kansas Courts eFiling system.
 
An electronic filer can tell whether a case exists in the efiling system by searching for it. If there is a match, filings must be through the efiling system. If there isn’t a match, filings will be on paper until the case is added to the system.
 
If an efiler is initiating a new case, it must be through the efiling system, unless it’s an appeal to the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court.
 
Paper filings submitted by mail and postmarked January 31 or prior will be processed as they would have been prior to the new order.
 
Tracking district court restoration

Since regaining access to the Kansas eCourt case management system in mid-December, district courts have been updating it with new cases and documents filed on paper following an October 12 cyberattack.
 
When a case is added to the case management system it becomes available in the Kansas Courts eFiling system and, with a few exceptions, in the Kansas District Court Public Access Portal.
 
“District court staff are working as quickly as they can to update the system while also managing their day-to-day work processing new cases and filings,” Luckert said. “Juggling these equally important areas of work is challenging, but district court staff consistently show us they are committed to getting the work done.” 
 
To date, courts in 42 counties report they have finished updating the case management system with new cases and paper filings made while the system was offline.

To find out which courts have finished this work, visit Status of District Court Restoration.

Appellate information systems

Work to restore electronic filing in the appellate courts is ongoing, as is work on the appellate case management system. The Office of Judicial Administration will share progress reports as these functions are restored.

Updates 

Updates on the cyberattack and efforts to restore court information systems are on the Court Systems Security Incident webpage.