Advocates for domestic abuse victims praise online portal to obtain restraining orders

Prevost said, “When you’re filling out paperwork, legal paperwork, it can be really confusing. When you’re doing it online, then it’s walking you through that process and it’s keeping, it simplifies it.”

Those seeking a restraining order can simply complete the online forms, by themselves or with an advocate, and hit submit.

“It cuts down on time, it’s more confidential. It’s less clunky, it’s much more people-friendly, it’s not so legal, so it helps to walk through it,” added Prevost.

The online portal also eliminates the need to walk into a courthouse, something that can be scary and intimidating in an already stressful situation.

“The safety of not having to go to the courthouse because if there’s an abuser would suspect that they were doing that, then they could be followed there or something like that where they wouldn’t even have to go anywhere near there,” said Prevost.

While victims don’t initially need to come to the courthouse, eventually they will have a hearing in front of judge. The time they save by filing online will help them prepare for that experience.

Prevost said, “It gives really, it gives advocates much more time to be able to talk to them about what the next steps are going to be because they’re not inundated with the paperwork.”

While the online portal has many benefits, Golden House encourages those who want to file to work with an advocate.