NH e-Court Project
Overview
PURPOSE: The purpose of the NH e-Court Project is to increase efficiency in the New Hampshire Judicial
Branch (NHJB) by implementing automated systems through re-engineering of business processes resulting in
reduced cost of operations and improved customer service. The project timeline is five years starting July, 2011.
This document focuses on the core initiative of NH e-Court, electronic case filing. Primary features are
electronic filing of case documents, electronic signatures and payments of fines and fees and electronic notices
to parties. A summary of other NH e-Court related projects is available on the NHJB website at:
http://www.courts.state.nh.us/nh-e-court-project/related-projects.htm.
ORIGIN: The NH e-Court Project was established as a result of the 2010 NHJB Innovation Commission
initiative and Report which is available at: http://www.courts.state.nh.us/cio/innovationcomm/FinalReport.pdf.
NH e-COURT CASE FILING SCOPE: The NHJB has grouped 122 of 158 trial court case types into 12
common work flows to be automated in 12 phases. The Supreme Court represents the 13th phase and is part of
NH e-Court. All phases are planned for completion by June, 2016.
Small Claims is scheduled as our pilot case type for implementation in the first quarter of 2014. Small Claims
is one of the highest volume case types in the court system. More than 14,000 small claims cases are filed in the
Circuit Court each year.
The NHJB will leverage the infrastructure implemented for Small Claims and systematically add other case
types. Return on Investment (ROI) for this project will be greater for each additional case type since much of
the infrastructure and general design cost for the project is expended up front in the first pilot phase.
COMMUNICATION: The NHJB recognizes the importance of communication on a project of this magnitude.
We are holding periodic public forums to present an update on the project status and answer questions from
interested parties. We have included attorneys and state agency stakeholders in our project definition and design
sessions so that their needs and perspectives are fully considered.
FUNDING: The FY 14-15 NHJB capital budget includes $3.2 million for the NH e-Court Project; NHJB
received $1.95 million in FY 12-13, for a total capital appropriation so far of $5.2 million. Another $2.1 million
appropriation will be needed to complete the project, for a total cost of $7.25 million. Annual operating
expenses for maintenance and renewal of the infrastructure of the NH e-Court Project are estimated at
approximately $1.3 million. Legislation passed in 2013 increases the percentage of court entry fees going to the
judicial branch information technology fund. Effective July 1, 2013, court entry fees were increased to provide
the additional revenue needed for the IT fund without reducing the amount that court fee revenues provide to
the State’s general fund.
MANDATORY FILING: A short time after implementation of each case type grouping, the use of the
electronic case processing system will be made mandatory for all filers for most case types. Other jurisdictions
have seen little ROI for voluntary electronic filing systems with only 15% of cases filed electronically. For
filers without computers, court lobby computers will be available for their use.
For more information, visit our NH e-Court website: http://www.courts.state.nh.us/nh-ecourt-project/index.htm.
10/16/13