eProtect: An Evaluation of Electronic Filing for Domestic Violence Protective Orders
Anyone who is experiencing domestic violence has the right to request a Domestic Violence Protective Order (DVPO). DVPOs are civil restraining orders which prohibit an individual from contacting, harming, or harassing their current or former intimate partner. Emerging research suggests that DVPOs are effective at preventing violence and keeping survivors safe. Implementing them thoroughly and appropriately is essential to ensuring their efficacy.
The eProtect study will evaluate the impact of electronic filing (“e-filing”) for DVPOs in North Carolina.
What is e-filing?
Electronic filing (“e-filing”) is a new approach to make the DVPO process more streamlined, efficient, and accessible to survivors of domestic violence (DV).
Survivors can appear over web video to speak with a clerk and appear before a judge without having to travel to the courthouse in-person. Once a DVPO is e-filed, it is sent to the clerk and the judge for review. Next, the DVPO is sent to law enforcement and becomes available for immediate action.
E-filing allows for a survivor to file DVPO paperwork with the assistance of a DV advocate through a web-based computer portal. E-filing is not only quick, it creates a safe, supportive environment where survivors can receive additional information about DV related services in the community from a trained DV advocate.