The Wisconsin Court System has begun piloting a new online, mobile-first portal designed to make it easier for people to complete and file domestic abuse temporary restraining order petitions.
The plain-language portal allows petitioners to create or log in to an eFiling account, generate standard court forms, and submit those forms to the circuit court in one guided process. The portal is designed to reduce confusion for petitioners, help them provide complete information, and make the filing process easier to navigate.
The pilot is underway in eight counties: Adams, Barron, Brown, Dane, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Sauk, and Waukesha. CCAP and Court Operations staff are providing live, onsite training and technical assistance to participating counties before the portal is made available statewide.
In Adams County, the July 9 launch included an educational presentation for the county’s Coordinated Community Response Team, which brings together local partners working on issues related to domestic violence and sexual assault. Kelsey Mullins of Court Operations co-presented on the portal with Adams County Clerk of Court Miranda Christensen, while Adams County Circuit Court Judge Tania M. Bonnett presented on local injunction processes and procedures. Then, Kelsey Mullins and CCAP representatives John Illgen and Ann Oberle presented to Adams County Circuit Court stakeholders and advocates to walk through the portal experience for petitioners and impacts on court processes.
During the pilot, the portal is accessible at participating courthouses and partner locations, including victim advocate agencies. That approach is meant to connect petitioners with available assistance from trained advocates, clerks, or attorneys as they navigate the new process.
“People seeking a restraining order are often coming to the court system at a difficult and frightening moment,” Chief Justice Jill Karofsky said. “We have a responsibility to make that process as clear, accessible, and supportive as possible. This portal is a thoughtful use of technology that keeps petitioners, courts, and community partners at the center.”
The Wisconsin Court System is one of three courts participating in a national project funded by the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women and administered by the National Center for State Courts. The project focuses on identifying and demonstrating court-based strategies for safe, accessible, fair, and effective virtual civil protection order processes.
The portal was shaped with technical assistance from Innovation for Justice’s UX for Justice program, which uses user experience research and design methods to evaluate and redesign online court technologies and processes. In Wisconsin, that work included feedback gathering, concept brainstorming, and prototype usability testing.
“This pilot gives us the opportunity to test the portal in real court settings, learn from the people who use it, and make improvements before statewide launch,” Director of State Courts Audrey K. Skwierawski said. “At its core, this work is about making an urgent court process clearer and more manageable for people seeking protection, while supporting the judges, clerks, advocates, attorneys, and court staff who serve them.”
Feedback from the pilot sites will be used to refine the portal, which is expected to be made available statewide by the end of August.
Third Branch eNews is an online monthly newsletter of the Director of State Courts Office. If you are interested in contributing an article about your department’s programs or accomplishments, contact your department head. Information about judicial retirements and judicial obituaries may be submitted to: Sara.Foster@wicourts.gov