Beijing residents can now file and trace lawsuits using a smartphone instead of going to a court thanks to a legal services mobile platform.

The platform, a WeChat account operated by the Beijing High People's Court, has made the legal process much easier for litigants and improved the work efficiency of judges, according to the court.

Litigants can also use the service to contact judges, search existing laws, supply materials and receive judicial documents, it said.

The service is seen as a new way for litigants to keep tabs on legal proceedings, as it requires courts across the city to make public how many cases they file, announce rulings, and provide other judicial big data, according to the high court.

"Our aim is to save litigants time and travel costs via this simple platform that lets them deal with legal affairs any time and place," it said in a statement.

The WeChat account service now covers every court in the capital, and over 86,000 cases were filed through the platform by the end of last year, it said.

"We're planning to accelerate the handling of disputes brought by bankruptcy this year, in a move to provide more convenience for litigants by simplifying procedures and using more technology-friendly applications," the statement added.