INDIANAPOLIS (WANE) — Indiana’s court system has launched a new way to file protection orders online, “from the privacy and comfort of a safe space, without having to go to the courthouse.”

Indiana’s new Protection Order E-filing service is shown accessed on an iPad in Fort Wayne, Ind., on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019.

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The state this week announced the launch of its new protection order E-filing service. The new online filing system is for adults and children who need protection from domestic or family violence, stalking, sex offenses, or harassment. It is available to individuals, advocates, and attorneys.

The free E-filing service is available 24/7 at public.courts.in.gov/porefsp.

Residents in need of protection can still file for the orders at on paper in the county clerk’s office or with help from a victim advocate. After the protection order is filed, a judge will review the case.

The launch of the E-filing service comes several months after the Allen County Council approved a request from Allen Superior Court to hire a Protection Order Specialist to assist in the filing of protection order requests. More than 3,500 protective orders are filed in each year in Allen County, whether due to domestic or family violence, a sex offense or stalking.