Electronic filing (e-filing) is the process of filing legal documents with courts and other government and nongovernment entities (arbitration administrators) electronically—often through a website—rather than mailing or delivering paper copies of the documents to be filed.
In Maryland, electronic filing (e-filing) is widely used for filing legal documents with the courts. The Maryland Judiciary Case Search system allows for e-filing in the appellate, circuit, and district courts. Attorneys are generally required to use the Maryland Electronic Courts (MDEC) system for e-filing, which is a statewide system that was implemented to improve the efficiency of the court process. The system allows for the submission of court documents electronically, 24 hours a day. Pro se litigants (those representing themselves) may also use the system, although they are not required to do so. E-filing is mandatory for attorneys in all counties where MDEC has been implemented, and it is gradually being rolled out to all jurisdictions within the state. The system also provides for the electronic service of documents between parties. For arbitration and other non-government entities, the availability of e-filing depends on the specific rules and systems established by those entities.