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Screenshot from the Civitek website.
(CN) With 15 board members and more than 100 employees, the Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers act as a gatekeeper for attorneys and residents who access the state’s court system.
Through their own for-profit company CiviTek, the clerks manage a series of websites that process an estimated $500 million worth of transactions each year and collect millions in “convenience” fees.
Every time an attorney files a lawsuit, a couple submits divorce papers, or a parent makes a child support payment and pay with a credit card, they must navigate through CiviTek-created portals and pony up the company’s 3.5% convenience fee.
Tara Green
Hoping to streamline its offerings and improve service for visitors, the Florida Courts E-Filing Authority Board of Directors is seeking bids to revamp its website.
The authority, at a February 1 meeting, approved sending out a request for proposals for website redesign.
In response to a question, Clay County Clerk of Court Tara Green, who chairs the authority’s Communications Committee, said the changes will not affect the Portal section of the website, where attorneys create filings and attach documents for submission to the court.
“It’s strictly for the authority website, such as the opening screen where pictures of courthouses slide through,” she said. “It’s not actually affecting the Portal development and design.”