Electronic filing is nothing new for the Superior Court of Delaware. Delaware was the first state in the nation to implement an electronic docketing and filing system for civil cases in the United States. That system was called the Complex Litigation Automated Docket or CLAD, and went into effect in 1991.

The system provided the court, counsel and litigants with filing that was quick and efficient as well as optimized the related document storage and lowered related costs. More then 200,000 electronic CLAD transactions were filed to CLAD which provided immediate access to the filings prior to our current Web environment.

On January 9, 2003, President Judge Henry duPont Ridgely signed Administrative Directive 2003-1 (stay ended January 27, 2003) and Administrative Directive 2003-2 (rescinded by Administrative Directive 2003-8) which directed the transition and migration to a new electronic filing (eFiling) system pursuant to the court's Civil Rule 79.1. The court's service provider for this browser-based electronic filing system is LexisNexis™File & Serve.

On January 27, 2003, the existing CLAD cases were converted to LexisNexis™File & Serve e-filing system. E-filers must register with LexisNexis™File & Serve. Complete details on registration and filing fees, requirements, and other issues are available from LexisNexis™. LexisNexis™ will provide training to all filers and users. Contact them to arrange this by calling attorney customer support at 1.888.529.7587. Public access to the documents is available on computer terminals in the Prothonotary's Office.

In July 2003, the Judicial Division of the American Bar Association released a proposed draft for Court Use of Electronic Filing Processes (Proposed Standard 1.65).

On August 12, 2003, President Judge Ridgely signed Administrative Directive 2003-7 (Designation of Certain Non-arbitration Cases for e-filing) and Administrative Directive 2003-8 (e-file Administrative Procedures) which expands the use of e-filing in Delaware.

On October 6, 2003, the Superior Court began accepting new non-arbitration complaint cases electronically in New Castle, Kent and Sussex Counties. With the expansion of electronic filing to Superior Court non-arbitration cases, Delaware will continue to be at the national forefront of judicial and legal case management.

On April 1, 2007, President Judge James T. Vaughn Jr. signed Administrative Directive 2007-2 (Designation of ADR Cases for -filing Pursuant to Superior Court Civil Rule 79.1) which expanded e-filing to all new civil actions filed with the Prothonotary that are subject to the court's Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) pursuant to Civil Rule 16 shall be filed and/or served electronically using the LexisNexis File & Serve eFiling system. Eventually the -filing will apply to all Superior Court civil filings. Eventually the system will apply to all Superior Court civil filings. Administrative Directive 2007-4 expands the use of e-filing to all Civil Complaints including Mechanic's Liens and Mortgages. (This designation does not include Civil Appeals, Involuntary Commitments, or Civil Miscellaneous proceedings.)

E-filing administrative procedures were further defined in December 2007 in Administrative Directive 2007-6 .

Effective January 1, 2008, the Court expanded e-filing directing that all new Civil Complaints, Mechanic's Liens, and Mortgage cases filed with the Prothonotary in any county, whether subject to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) or not, shall be filed and/or served electronically using the LexisNexis® File & Serve e-Filing system.