MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin residents can now complete and submit petitions for domestic abuse and harassment restraining orders online, using a new court portal launched last month. The portal guides users through creating an account, choosing the relevant forms and sending a petition directly to their circuit court. It can be used on a phone or computer. Petitions involving child abuse or an individual at risk are not yet available through the portal; those must still be submitted on paper or through the courts’ existing electronic filing system. Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Jill Karofsky said the court system’s budget request asks the governor and Legislature for funding to add child abuse petitions and, later, petitions involving adults at risk. “The idea behind this portal is to make it easier, make getting a restraining order more accessible when you need it the most,” Karofsky said. The budget request also seeks $3 million for courthouse security statewide. Half would fund grants for security equipment and facility improvements. Circuit court judges reported 129 security threats in 2025. Karofsky said courthouse safety must extend to everyone who enters or works in the buildings, including victims, witnesses, jurors, interpreters and court staff.