payment options Archives

[av_image src=’https://home.ncourt.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/modular-court-tech.jpg’ attachment=’3893′ attachment_size=’full’ align=’center’ styling=” hover=” link=” target=” caption=” font_size=” appearance=” overlay_opacity=’0.4′ overlay_color=’#000000′ overlay_text_color=’#ffffff’ copyright=” animation=’no-animation’ av_uid=’av-5uib5t’ admin_preview_bg=”][/av_image]

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” av_uid=’av-4hdu1d’ admin_preview_bg=”]
There is an alarming trend among court managers — the tendency to acquire technology without fully understanding how it works, or if it will translate to success in their specific court. They may also fail to recognize that their newly adopted suite of court management services will likely no longer meet their needs in a few short years. With new technology hitting shelves every day, court managers may feel overwhelmed when deciding on a solution to meet their business requirements. Fortunately, courts can take a modular approach to technology adoption, called court component modeling, that will equip them to adapt to new challenges.

What is court component modeling?

One way to define court component modeling (CCM) is to compare it to the traditional approach to court technology. Most case management systems (CMSs) are applied as monolithic, one-size-fits-all suites; while comprehensive in some cases, this approach is known to be ineffective in a rapidly evolving market. In contrast, the component model is highly modular and allows courts to mix and match programs for their individual needs, even if the programs come from multiple vendors. With CCM, courts can adopt technology based on their business strategy — rather than the other way around — and meet emerging business requirements by adjusting or supplementing their components instead of replacing an entire suite.

Components are also designed to be platform-agnostic in their interactions with other programs, independently deployable, and highly scalable. When combined with guidance from a trusted technology provider such as nCourt, these components will be easier to adopt and use than full, restrictive suites.

How is a court component model implemented?

In order to begin the adoption process, court managers should assess their business needs by asking themselves and their team a range of questions, including:

What tools will allow us to meet our current needs without restricting us in the future?
What are the gaps in our technological environment, and what technologies exist to help us fill those gaps?
What are the needs of our citizens, and how will the tools we select improve their access to procedural justice?

It may also help for court leaders to view their computing environment as an array of technological building blocks, rather than a consolidated CMS. From there, they can decide which components to use.

Components often are categorized as either case management or supplemental components. Case management components may include the central case manager many courts are accustomed to, as well as a financial manager and a document manager. Supplemental components may include e-filing tools, evidence management, and ePayment services. There are many more, depending on the provider, but the beauty of the component model is that it allows courts to exclusively pick and choose the tools they need to manage cases.

What are the benefits of court component modeling?

By creating a modular technological environment that can evolve with the market, CCM positions court professionals to be ready for the future. It also enables them to fill the gaps in service that may have existed under the traditional approach to technology. Courts that adopt CCM-based systems will be free to create a best-in-class solution composed of components from diverse vendors.

Inflexible courtroom technology can create challenges for clerks and professionals alike. With the help of the court component model, however, court leaders can make real change in this area. When court leaders do the proper research and choose the components that will have the greatest impact in their court environment, they will be better equipped to face coming changes in the industry.

The market for court technology is evolving faster than ever. Fortunately, nCourt is here to help local and state courts adapt to these changes and serve their citizens. Contact us today to learn more.

[/av_textblock]

[av_social_share title=’Share this entry’ style=’minimal’ buttons=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-7vuup’]

What are the drawbacks of the traditional system?

The traditional methods of collecting court-ordered child support payments rely on factors that are too often unreliable. These include payments delivered in-person or by mail in the form of cash, check, money order, or bank draft. The risk of a late or even missed payment increases when courts and citizens are restricted to these methods, which may, in turn, cause challenges for all parties involved.

The traditional system also requires extensive resources from the court; the cost of paper checks, supporting documents, and postage can add up quickly. In addition, the court’s reliance on human clerks to manually process each payment increases the risk of data entry errors, which cause even more delays. The issue is that regular child support payments are expected within a system that cannot guarantee regularity. The question we are left with is, “How can providers ensure that regularity?”

How can a digital payment solution help?

Modern technology means modern solutions in the form of digital child support payments. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the precedent for digital payment options has been in place for some years. The challenge for courts lies in implementing this digital technology.

In many cases, digital payment options include direct deposits to a custodial parent’s bank account or payments deposited into a stored value card account. Some payment providers even allow citizens to use online services such as PayPal. With tools designed to make the process as efficient as possible, digital payment solutions offer benefits across the board at little to no extra cost to state governments.

Recurring payments — This helps reduce the financial strain on families that may not be able to deliver cash payments on a timely basis. Thanks to options such as automatic recurring payments and guaranteed funds options, citizens can follow plans that suit their circumstances.

Fewer delays — When citizens can pay from anywhere, at any time, and in minutes, they have a greater incentive than ever to be on time. Similarly, digital payments help court professionals cut down on processing time, and custodial parents are guaranteed to receive their payments much faster.

Lower burden on clerks — Court professionals can track payments more easily and face shorter lines. Likewise, they can spend less time manually logging payments, allowing them to focus their efforts on helping citizens face-to-face.

Reduced financial impact — Although some citizens will prefer to pay in person or by mail, courts will pay less overall for paper checks, documents, postage, and processing.

Courts that offer a spread of digital payment options, including one-time, recurring, and partial payments help citizens make payments on time and without undue hardship. Having these options in place increases the likelihood that payments will be made on time and in full.

It pays to go digital

With the help of digital payment options for child support, citizens will have greater confidence in their court and can take comfort in knowing that their access to justice extends to child support services. Digital payments help reduce the financial strain on custodial parents and children, helping all parties achieve a new peace of mind.

nCourt offers digital payment solutions for child support at the local and state levels. To learn more, contact an nCourt expert today.

[/av_textblock]

[av_social_share title=’Share this entry’ style=’minimal’ buttons=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-7vuup’]