Setting general areas for EDI will not provide, nor should it, a single standard. Multiple standards, multiple formats, and the ability to also receive manual documents still will exist. I believe that EDI is a new concept that is just now jelling as a possible opportunity. But the differences in our systems, needs, paperwork styles, processes, etc., will make it hard to realize significant gains through this technology. Electronic document management can have an enormous positive impact on courts.
Standards are critical, though.
Electronic document management, properly implemented, can speed case processing, reduce paper storage requirements, reduce actual expenses for law firms and litigants, have a positive impact on the environment, and aid dramatically in the transfer of information in multiple directions. Electronic filing eliminates delays in handling and transporting, while also giving all parties access to data that can be searched and managed in different ways. Important court information, including rulings and notices, can be disseminated promptly and widely. Electronic storage gives parties the ability to use a vast warehouse of data in many ways at a very low cost. In the large volume courts, the electronic document technology helps reduce staffing needed to move files from one point to another, speeds up access to those files, and will allow for 24-hour access to courts.