NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Supreme Court is revising its rules to allow for electronic filing in the state's appellate courts.

Electronic filing will allow parties to submit documents over the Internet instead of having to deliver them manually to the clerk's offices.

Chief Justice Sharon Lee said in a news release e-filing is one of a series of planned steps to help the courts use technology to better meet the needs of citizens.

E-filing is widely used in federal courts, but the only state courts currently using it in Tennessee are Shelby County Circuit and Chancery courts. Davidson County has plans to put e-filing in place next year.

The Supreme Court rule changes deal mostly with technical and logistical issues, such as who can use the system, deadlines, document formats and fees.