The Big Red Book
If you’ve ever been involved in a civil lawsuit, you know that the process can be long, drawn out, and expensive. Inefficiencies in the system lead to delays, continuances, and ultimately higher costs for everyone involved. But it doesn’t have to be this way. By embracing new technology and modernizing the process, we can make the system more efficient, effective and accessible.
The Problem with Traditional Civil Litigation
The civil litigation process is built upon an outdated model that is rife with inefficiencies. For starters, the use of paper calendars by the Court to schedule hearings can be maddening at times. These paper calendars are typically managed by gatekeepers who control access to the hearing dates. This delays the process as the parties have to work through these gatekeepers to get the information necessary to keep the case moving forward. In addition to having to leave messages, traditional civil litigation often requires runners to physically go to the courthouse to retrieve a court date.
What’s more, this process often leads to continuances as dates get moved around and conflicts arise because no one checked with the opposing side to make sure the date worked for all parties. This is not only time-consuming, but it also adds unnecessary costs.
The Solution: Modernize the Process Using Online Calendars
Fortunately, there is a solution to these problems: get rid of the “Big Red Book” and use an ONLINE CALENDAR. Online calendars can replace paper calendars, making it easier to schedule hearings and deadlines. And by providing access to the Court’s calendar online, there is no need to play phone tag with the minute clerk or send runners to the courthouse. The parties can simply go online to the Court’s new website, check the Court’s availability, call opposing counsel to clear the date, schedule the hearing online, add it to their Outlook/Google/Apple calendars with one click and file the appropriate motion. This simple process saves everyone a tremendous amount of time and money.
The other benefit to the parties who use the online calendar is that they receive text and email reminders with a link to the Court’s virtual courtroom. No more calling the Court the morning of the hearing to get the link or password. These reminders also trigger the attorneys to call one another before the hearing, sometimes resulting in an agreement without the need for going to court.
The Court also benefits. The foot traffic and amount of calls that the Court receives will fall dramatically once it implements an online calendar. This saved time enables the court’s staff to work on other important matters with fewer interruptions. My phone hardly rings anymore.
The civil litigation process is in need of reform. By modernizing the process with new technology, we can make it more efficient and less costly for everyone involved. This will result in a faster, more streamlined process that delivers justice in a timely manner.
