E-Court Bundle Revolution
At Paradigm Family Law we are pioneering fixed fees for family law work and also, the paperless (or at least ‘less-paper’) office. Our timing couldn’t be more apt, given the recent decision in J v J and now the rise of ‘E-Court bundles’ reported recently in Family Law Week.
The full article (here) reports on how Nottingham Family Court and the County Council are working together to promote a revolution in the way that court papers and documents are prepared and presented. They hope it will transform the way that hearings are dealt with across the country.
Laptops and Monitors
In the pilot, it is reported that laptops have been provided to judiciary with E-Court bundles already installed. The E-Court bundles themselves some containing 400 pages, are compiled and indexed within 25 minutes. A monitor is provided for the witness table, thereby avoiding the need for numerous and cumbersome lever arch files across the courtroom.
The E-bundles can include photographs and audio evidence meaning that all aspects of a case can be handled effectively and quickly from a central point of access.
Judicial support
The judiciary are reported in the article as being positive about the technology, with one Magistrate saying,
“E-bundles in the Family Court, recently trialled by three magistrates on a complex and demanding family case, allowed us to concentrate more on the issues of court than having to wade through pages of text. We found the relevant section in a fraction of the time; precious time that enabled us to the court and its proceedings.
“The digital bundles are easy to manage, even for those with little or no I.T. experience. We also noticed it was far easier for witnesses, some of whom are unfamiliar with bundles – they just had to look at the appropriate page on the monitor.”
The Supreme Court has also issued guidelines on the use of E-Bundles and also Memory sticks. Perhaps with E-bundles the problems of incorrectly paginated bundles, seen in Vince v Wyatt, could have been avoided.
Innovate
At Paradigm Family Law we are always looking for ways to innovate and provide our clients with ease of access to our advice. If the pilot in Nottinghamshire is a success, then the sooner it rolls out across the rest of the country the better. We are ready willing and able to embrace E-Court bundles.
Let’s just hope that the Courts are ready too, although judging by a recent report in the Law Gazette, the Court IT systems may need some attention!
Contact us
If you would like more information about our paperless office, or need divorce or family law advice at a fixed fee with a free initial consultation call Paradigm Family Law on 0845 6020422 or email us at: [email protected] to arrange an appointment with James or Frank.
