From 31 January 2023, family law solicitors dealing with applications for financial orders must lodge their documents and papers via the digital portal, as part of the onward march of court reform.
There is a period of one month’s grace and after that, no paper applications or applications emailed to the local court will be accepted.
Historic times indeed. Gone are the days when I would be sewing up documents with green tape and wrapping Counsel’s papers in pink tape. The trees will thank us, saving the use of paper, but a little bit of me misses the delicacy of ink-written documents on parchment with wax seals and joined with tape.
I think that is the romantic in me who would soon be smothered by the tech loving me!
I do see the digital reform as a positive, time saving, system. There will be times when it does not work/work as we want to – isn’t that all technology? – but on the whole, I am really embracing the digital reform. It certainly has to be better than lugging a suitcase filled with papers to court! I do not miss those days!
There will be challenges, not least for those without a solicitor to navigate but I am positive!
Do you need help with navigating the digital court system? Appoint me as your solicitor and I deal with it for you….