Electronic Filing (eFiling) Information
Electronic Filing (eFiling) is the service that allows authorized users, or filers, to submit court documents to the Clerk of Court electronically. The Florida ePortal, governed by the Florida eFiling Authority Board, is the gateway to managing your court document submissions to the Clerk of Court. The ePortal provides eFiling capability to filers with a single statewide login.
The Lake County Clerk’s Office is currently accepting electronic filings on new and existing cases for the following case types: Circuit Civil, County Civil, Probate, Guardianship, Domestic Relations, and Juvenile Dependency.
Additionally, using the Simple E-File option at the portal, filings on existing Circuit Criminal, County Criminal, Criminal Traffic, and Juvenile Delinquency cases are also being accepted.
ATTENTION: Effective July 1, 2021, the Florida Supreme Court amended Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.420 to prevent clerks of court from automatically redacting confidential information found within most Circuit Civil, County Civil, or Small Claims cases. Learn more about the changes.
To use the ePortal, including how to become an authorized user, we have provided the following frequently asked questions (FAQs).
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the ePortal?
The ePortal is a web site that provides eFiling and eRecording capability to users with a single statewide login.
- How do I register for an account?
To register for an ePortal account, click on the ‘ePortal’ link in the ‘eFiling Portal Resources’ section to the right. For assistance with creating an account, click on the link "ePortal Documentation".
- What document types does the ePortal support?
The ePortal will accept filings in Microsoft Word or PDF formats. All scanned documents must be 300 dpi and in black and white.
- How do I sign an electronic document?
A submission by a registered user is not required to bear the electronic image of the handwritten signature or an encrypted signature of the filer. Instead, the requirement of a signature on an electronically filed document may be met as follows:
s/ John Doe
John Doe (e-mail address)
Bar Number 12345
Attorney for (Plaintiff/Defendant) XYZ Company
ABC Law Firm
123 South Street
Orlando, FL 32800
Telephone: (407) 123-4567
See Florida Supreme Court AOSC09-30 for more information.
- Will there be a charge to use the ePortal?
Authorized filers may access the ePortal and file documents at no charge above the statutory filing fee. If a filer chooses to pay statutory fees using a credit card, they will be charged an additional credit card transaction fee, which will be used to cover the associated banking, and merchant fees as allowed by Florida Statutes.
- How will the ePortal provide access to filings once the Clerk accepts them?
The ePortal provides access to filings “in progress” only. Once the filing is accepted and filed in the local Case Maintenance System, this becomes the official court record just like the current paper process. Original filings are retained at the portal for a brief period and then removed. Permanent access to these documents is provided through existing methods –
Attorney Access and
CCIS.
- I need assistance with my ePortal account. Whom do I contact?
For technical support, including password resets, contact the Florida Association of Court Clerks’ Services Group at 1-850-577-4609 or email [email protected]. For assistance with a filing, such as an inquiry regarding a filing or a case, please use our Office & Phone Directory to contact the appropriate court division.
- Do I still need to submit the original document to the Clerk?
No. Originals are no longer required except in certain instances. In probate, the original will and any codicils must be deposited with the Clerk. In criminal, the exceptions are any paper document that is a judgment and sentence or required by statute or rule to be sworn to or notarized.