Last week the Supreme Court of North Carolina adopted amendments to the General Rules of Practice, clearing the way for the implementation of the Judicial Branch’s eCourts initiative. In case you missed it, over the next few years, North Carolina Courts will implement the Odyssey Integrated Case Management System (Odyssey ICMS), which among other things, will allow attorneys to file pleadings digitally.

The Supreme Court’s recent order affects the following rules:

Rule 5, “Filing of Pleadings and Other Documents in Counties with Odyssey”
Rule 5.1, “Filing of Pleadings and Other Documents in Counties Without Odyssey”
Rule 22, “Local Rules of Practice and Procedure”
Rule 27, “Sealed Documents and Protective Orders”

Read the rest of the NCAOC’s press release here — LINK.

The first four counties — Harnett, Johnston, Lee, and Wake — are projected to go live on Odyssey in August 2021. Electronic filing is one small component of the eCourts initiative. For a full listing of all the changes you can expect in the near future, please visit NCAOC’s eCourts webpage for a comprehensive explanation of the eCourts initiative and rollout plan — LINK.

April 29, 2021/by Litigation