Court to implement e-filing system

The Bucks County office of civil courts announced this week that it will begin implementing a new e-filing system in the coming months.

Prothonotary Pat Bachtle said in an interview Friday that the system will allow those involved in civil and family suits - lawyers, court administration, judges - to scan and move paperwork electronically, rather than with paper documents, as is currently done.

Earlier this week, county commissioners approved a contract of about $182,000 to deploy the system. Bachtle said staff in her office is currently being trained on the software and it will begin a soft rollout with selected attorneys and administrators in the coming months. Once it is sufficiently tested and tweaked, she said, it will be made widely available.

Bachtle is up for re-election in November after enduring a rough primary race in May. In case you missed it, your Bucks correspondent wrote about that race - and whether it will impact the local Republican party - in last weekend's Inquirer.