From 23 August 2021, the Family Court of Western Australia has moved to mandatory lodging of all court documents through the eCourts Portal (eLodging). To start the process you need to log on to the eCourts Portal and create an account beforehand.

To start using the eCourts Portal you will need to register with your file number and participant ID. You can contact the Family Court call centre on (08) 9224 8222 to obtain this number. If you are experiencing any technical difficulties with your eCourts Portal account, contact the Courts Technology help desk on (08) 9425 2645 or email them at ctghelpdesk@justice.wa.gov.au.

The Family Court is located at 150 Terrace Road (cnr Victoria Avenue), Perth. If you do not have computer facilities, you can access the self-serve kiosk located at the Family Court Registry. The registry is located at the Terrace Road entrance of the Court.

The self-serve kiosk is available for you to prepare, scan and upload your Court documents through the Portal of Western Australia. Access to the public kiosk computers is available each weekday. In the kiosk, you can:

• Register on the eCourts Portal of Western Australia;
• Prepare documents;
• Scan and upload documents to the portal;
• Have documents witnessed by a Justice of the Peace;
• Inspect subpoenaed documents and files. You need to make an appointment to view the documents; or
• Be referred to a Legal Aid duty lawyer.

You can also contact the registry call centre with enquiries on (08) 9224 8222.

From 23 September 2021, all documents in the civil jurisdiction of the Magistrates Court, with limited exceptions, are to be lodged electronically via the eCourts Portal. This is referred to as the Electronic Court Management System (ECMS) – or eLodgment. The system of eLodgment is also used in the Supreme and District Courts.

To use eLodgment you must be a registered user.

• To register, visit the eCourts Portal;
• Read the terms and conditions;
• Click on the Register link; and
• Complete and submit the registration.

Please note that registration approval may take up to 24 hours. You will receive an email notification when your registration is complete.

Proceedings in the Court’s civil jurisdiction are commenced by eLodging originating documents. All subsequent documents can also be filed using eLodgment. Filing fees are paid online and all court orders and listings can be accessed electronically by parties to the proceedings.

The benefits of using eLodgment are:

• You can lodge civil procedure applications and forms electronically;
• Access court documents and court orders 24/7;
• View online all civil procedure matters that you are linked to; and
• Receive court documents and court orders electronically.

If you want an exemption you must make an application to be exempt from mandatory eLodgment. You need to provide information about your exceptional circumstances. The application should be completed and lodged with the court. A Registrar will assess the application and make a formal order granting or refusing your application.

You can apply for an FVRO or VRO by filing the relevant forms in person or lodging the application online. An approved legal service provider can lodge your application online for you. Refer to our fact sheet on FVROs and VROs to find out who are approved legal service providers.

If you apply in person, complete the appropriate form and provide a sworn or affirmed statement of evidence to be used in the hearing. If you apply online through an approved legal service provider, your application is your affidavit when you declare the information provided to be true to the approved legal service provider helping you lodge your application. The court does not charge court for FVRO applications.

If you need an urgent FVRO or VRO it is not practical to apply in person at the court or online through an approved legal service provider, a police officer can help you to apply for an FVRO over the telephone.

You need to create an eCourts Portal account and commence your online application through the Magistrates Court. Please refer to the above section on becoming a registered user.

On each page you will find information and helpful tips to assist you in completing that section of the application. When the application process has been completed you will be asked to declare the application is true and correct. Once the declaration has been made you may lodge the application by selecting the lodge icon at the end of the wizard.

Although the Office of Criminal Injuries Compensation (OCIC) prefers lodgment online by the eCourts, you can apply using a form too which can be downloaded from the OCIC website. You can post or email your completed application form to:

• Email: criminal.injuries@justice.wa.gov.au
• Postal address: Criminal Injuries Compensation, GPO Box F317, Perth WA 6841

You can contact the OCIC on telephone: (08) 9425 3250.

Your application at the Tribunal can be lodged through the eLodgment system on the eCourts Portal. The eCourts Portal can be used for managing proceedings in the Tribunal. Please refer to the above section on becoming a registered user.

You start the process by filing originating documents at SAT. All Tribunal originating documents are available to be lodged via the eCourts Portal.

On completion of the documents you will receive a matter number and you will be able to file other (non-originating) documents using the eCourts Portal. You can lodge:

• Tribunal forms, which can be obtained from SAT’s website, completed and submitted; or
• Other documents, in which case you should select the appropriate document name from the options in the Portal, and then upload the complete document.

Filing fees are paid online and all court orders and listings can be accessed electronically by parties to the proceedings.