Vt. Memo to the Bar, Aug. 31, 2020

SUPREME COURT OF VERMONT

OFFICE OF THE COURT ADMINISTRATOR

PATRICIA GABEL, ESQ. Mailing Address

State Court Administrator Office of the Court Administrator

patricia.gabel@vermont.gov 109 State Street

Montpelier, VT 05609-0701

Telephone (802) 828-3278

FAX: 802 828-3457

www.vermontjudiciary.org

TO: Members of the Vermont Bar

FROM: Patricia Gabel, Esq., State Court Administrator

RE: Service and Contact Information in Efiling System

DATE: August 31, 2020

SERVICE AND CONTACT INFORMATION IN EFILING SYSTEM

The 2020 Vermont Rules for Electronic Filing require attorneys to register in File and Serve and to

update registration information, including service contacts. 2020 V.R.E.F. 4. Unless there is an

agreement, service of electronic filings between efilers must be made using the efiling system. 2020

V.R.E.F. 11(d). In response to concerns raised about how attorneys can best comply with the 2020 Rules

for Electronic Filing in regard to service contacts, and to assure proper service by others, the Vermont

Judiciary has taken the following steps:

1) Use of Public Contacts. To alleviate the need for efilers to enter their own contact information for each

case, the Public Contacts list capability has been activated for efilers. This feature allows efilers to search

for service contacts of other users in the global directory at the timing of filing. By using the Public

Contacts list, attorneys and other filers will not be required to add their service contact information to

individual pending cases. Going forward, attorneys should NOT add service contact information for each

case, but instead should ONLY use the Public Contacts feature.

2) Duplicate Contacts. Please note that there are duplicate service contact entries in the Public Contacts

list for individual efilers. These duplicates have resulted from the same individual being added to the

Public Contacts list in different cases and these contacts need to remain in the Public Contacts list. When

making service, efilers may use any of the duplicate contacts with an updated email address. If an efiler

has any doubt as to which address in the Public Contacts list is correct for an individual, the efiler should

contact that individual directly.

3) Creating Service Contacts. Going forward, to comply with 2020 V.R.E.F. 4, new firm service contacts

should be added to the Public Contacts list. Please see the “eService with Odyssey File & Serve” user

guide on the Judiciary website for more detailed instructions, available

at: https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/about-vermont-judiciary/electronic-access/electronic-filing.

The judiciary thanks the members of the Bar who brought this situation to the judiciary’s attention and

looks forward to further cooperation.

For support, please contact Tyler Filer Support at 800-297-5377 or via email

at efiling.support@tylertech.com.