A new option can help make it easier for domestic violence victims to get a court order to protect them.
Those who need help can now find the needed forms online.
People in all 72 Wisconsin counties can now use the portal to complete temporary restraining order petitions without first visiting a courthouse to obtain the necessary forms.
The Restraining Order Portal went live statewide September 1.
Computers, phones, and other mobile devices can all be used to access the portal.
It provides a guided, easy-to-understand process for preparing and submitting domestic abuse and harassment temporary restraining order petitions.
“The Wisconsin Court System stands ready to help those in need. It takes an act of courage to file for a restraining order, and we want to make it as easy as possible for those who choose to seek court-ordered protection during what is often a challenging and urgent time,” Chief Justice Jill J. Karofsky said. “This portal is about keeping people safe by making the initial restraining order process clearer, more accessible, and user-friendly.”
The Restraining Order Portal is part of a national effort to improve access to civil protection order processes. Wisconsin is one of three courts nationwide selected as a learner court in a 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 court-based strategies for safe, accessible, fair, and effective virtual civil protection order processes.
The Restraining Order Portal is available at ro.wicourts.gov. Additional information is available through the Wisconsin Court System Help Center.
Efforts to promote the availability of the site are being made as Domestic Violence Awareness Month is underway.
The portal is currently available for domestic abuse and harassment temporary restraining order petitions. Child abuse and individual-at-risk petitions are not available through the portal and must continue to be filed on paper or through the traditional circuit court eFiling process.
