Submitting the correct forms to courts is a critical step in the legal process. The Franklin County Clerk of Courts has noticed that some electronic filings made to the county’s courts are on outdated forms. Using the wrong form generates a “not approved” message and requires refiling.

Staff at the clerk’s office suspect that lawyers saved forms onto their computers long ago and haven’t checked to ensure they’re using the most recent versions. The clerk’s office has received filings with incorrect court addresses, the wrong clerk’s name, and old information, according to Xenia Palus, the clerk’s director of communications.

The Franklin County clerk handles e-filings for the Franklin County Common Pleas Court’s criminal and civil cases, as well as for the domestic relations and juvenile divisions. The clerk also accepts e-filings for the Tenth District Court of Appeals.

The centralized hub for finding the correct forms is the Franklin County Clerk of Courts’ website. There are a few convenient ways to access the correct forms:

• Click “Not sure where to begin?” on home page. A menu opens at the top of the screen. On the far left is the heading “Forms & Fees.” Each division is listed beneath that heading. Select the appropriate division, which will open a page that includes a “Forms and Fees” menu option. Once that option is selected, all the available forms will be shown in a window.
• Select “Legal Divisions” on the clerk’s home page. Choose the correct division, then the “Forms and Fees” option to display the available forms.
• Click “e-File” on the clerk’s home page, then select “e-Filing Resources by Division.” Choose the “Forms” link beneath the correct division.

A comprehensive, alphabetical list divided into categories is also available from the Franklin County Law Library’s website.

“We hope this guidance assists attorneys so they are successful on their first attempt when e-filing,” Palus said.