W.D. Mich. LCivR 5.7(c) was amended in anticipation of future plans for electronic filing of initial pleadings. The current case opening protocol is as follows:

The filing of the initial pleadings (complaint or petition), issuance and service of the summons, and payment of initial filing fees must be accomplished in the traditional manner (not electronically). Attorneys, however, are strongly encouraged to accompany their pleading with a diskette or CD-ROM of their papers in portable document format (PDF), so that these documents can be added to the electronic case file.