The Administrative Office of the Courts will modernize its disbursement system for indigent representation payments to attorneys, interpreters, expert witnesses, and investigators in February 2018. The new AOC Claims and Payment (ACAP) system will replace the Indigent Claim Entry (ICE) system and will allow users to more accurately and efficiently input and track claims for payment.The new system will provide users with more feedback and transparency on their claims. The payment process will be streamlined on the backend, improving turnaround times.
“Under the old ICE system, multiple systems were involved to execute a payment and each system had its own separate document number,” said Pam Hancock, fiscal services director at the AOC. “With ACAP, the process has been streamlined and users will be able to track their claim by that same document ID throughout the payment process.”
The change will affect all attorneys, judges, and court interpreters who use ICE to make or approve claims. Expert witnesses will be added to the ACAP system later in the year.
ACAP will go live on Monday, February 5, 2018. ICE will go offline on Wednesday, January 31, 2018 at 4:30 p.m. It will not come back online. No new claims can be started during the four-day period between the shutdown of ICE and the opening of ACAP. The offline period is required to migrate data from one system to the other. Attorneys nearing the 180-day deadline in TSCR 13 section 6(a)(5) on any yet-to-be filed claims should plan for this offline period.All claims in process in ICE on January 31 will be automatically migrated to the ACAP system, regardless of whether they have just been started, been submitted for approval, or are pending payment. No action is required by the user.
“The AOC greatly appreciates the tremendous work attorneys and others do across the state to ensure all Tennesseans receive the legal representation they are constitutionally guaranteed and deserve,” said AOC Director Deborah Taylor Tate. “The AOC is dedicated to improving the payment process for all who serve while also being excellent stewards of the fund.”
Online training on ACAP will begin the week of January 29 and will be offered frequently, as demand requires. Regular monthly training, as well as training videos and manuals, will be available as needed. On February 5, when ACAP goes live, all current ICE users will receive an email with their new user ID and log-in. Instructions will be included. Attorneys cannot register with ACAP until February 5.