• E-filing can make filling out your tax forms a lot more convenient.A young woman holding a pen, doing her taxes image by Christopher Meder from Fotolia.com
  
  Filling out legal documents can be a complicated process, especially since there are so many different forms to be filled out for various legal matters. E-filing (short for "electronic filing," where all information can be completed electronically and then sent to the appropriate organization online), has made this process a lot easier and more convenient. Connecticut has its own specific set of regulations regarding e-filing.
  
  

Mandatory for Civil and Foreclosure Cases

• E-filing is mandatory in Connecticut for nearly all civil cases, as well as for foreclosure matters; hard copies will no longer be accepted. There are exceptions: Cases that involve a prejudgment remedy, have more than 48 plaintiffs or defendants, or transfer from small-claims court cannot be filed online and must be done in person or by fax. Vehicle forfeitures and firearm safety hearing documents are two other types of cases that still require hard copies.
  
  

Tax Requirements

• Individuals filing tax returns electronically must use software that has been approved for e-filing in Connecticut. The program itself should indicate whether it has Connecticut approval (users can contact the Department of Revenue Services if they can't find this approval in the software). There is normally a list on the back of the software package stating which states allow e-filing and indicating that the software works for all states listed; if the software claims that it can be used in all states, the user should have no problems.
  
  Tax-return preparers who prepared more than 50 personal tax reports in Connecticut the previous year are now required to file all their returns electronically in an effort to expedite the processing of tax returns. Connecticut used to require preparers to submit an application to be able to submit online returns, but that requirement has been waived. Once the preparer is accepted into the e-file program by the IRS, he's automatically able to file returns electronically in Connecticut.
  
  

Additional Regulations

• If a case in process had previous documents filed in person, subsequent documents can still be filed electronically if the case type allows it. Motions for one particular case can't be filed simultaneously online, so each motion would have to be submitted separately. Affidavits still need to be filled out by hand and can only be submitted electronically by scanning the hard copy and submitting it as a PDF file. Individuals are still required to keep the original copy until the case and all subsequent appeals are finished.