Court Administrators and their staffs face many issues today that did not exist only a few short years ago. The Internet and the ease of access to information that it has brought is driving the requirement for courts to move more and more into the realm of Electronic courts (E-Courts). E-Courts must be able to satisfy the wants, needs, and demands of not only the traditional court clientele but the general public as well. Access to court information, court forms, court processes; all must be made more accessible and available 24 hours a day. These issues and many others line the path leading to becoming an Electronic Court.

The Alabama courts and the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) have been moving toward E-Court status for the last 4 years. Several developmental steps have been taken toward this goal, one of which was the implementation of a full set of Electronic Forms for all court processes. Currently there are over 300 different standard forms used by the Alabama courts. Copies of these forms were available from the Clerk of the Court and had to be picked up at the court house. Properly filled in forms had to be delivered back to the Clerk at the courthouse in order to be registered.