Circuit court eFiling - eFiling a new judgment or lien case

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Purpose: Attorneys filing in Wisconsin circuit courts are required to eFile judgment (FJ and TJ) and lien (CL, CO, HL, and OL) cases. The following article walks through the process of filing a new judgment or lien case.

Applicable Users: eFiling users

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eFiling a new judgment or lien case

1. Visit the eFiling website at https://efiling.wicourts.gov/ and log in. For more information see the article Logging into Wisconsin circuit court eFiling.
2. Select file a new case from the main navigation or [File a new case] button from the bottom menu.
   
3. Select the county you are filing in from the County dropdown menu and the applicable class code from the Class code dropdown menu. If the class code you selected is Transcript of Judgment or Foreign Judgment, select either Yes or No to answer the question “Is this judgment for the collection of restitution?” Then, select [Continue].
   
4. Select [Add party] to add parties to the case.
   
   Note: The yellow banner will tell you what parties are required for the selected class codes.
5. Complete the New party window. Start by choosing a Party type, beginning with the filing party (i.e., creditor or plaintiff for judgments). If appropriate, select the Add attorney button to add the attorney representing the filing party on the case. If you are logged in as a designated filer, answer the question “Are you the designated filer for this party?” by selecting either Yes or No. Select [Save, and add next party] to add additional parties to the case.
6. When all parties have been added, review for accuracy and select [Continue].
   
7. Select [Upload documents] to browse for and upload a filing document along with other associated documents to the case. Review the bulleted list to ensure your documents are properly formatted.
   Note: The yellow banner will tell you what filing document is required for the selected class code.
   
8. From the Document type dropdown menu, select the correct document type, and enter a descriptive title in the Document title text entry field. Select [Continue].
   
   Note: An accurate and descriptive title is beneficial for identifying documents. The title entered here displays in the View documents list on your My cases page and is visible to the courts.
   If, after selecting the [Continue] button, the following red error message displays: “A filing document is required,” you might not have selected the correct type of document to initiate the case you are filing. The system looks at the Document type field to determine if the right document is uploaded.
9. Enter the information requested on the Judgments page. Selecting Yes for Docket will charge the $5 docketing fee (unless the judgment is for restitution) and docket the judgment when the new case filing is processed by the circuit court. You can enter one or more amounts, selecting the appropriate type from the Type dropdown menu.
   Selecting Yes for Joint and several will mark the judgment amount to be owed by all debtors. Select one or more parties as the creditor(s) and one or more as the debtor(s). Note that multiple judgments can be entered on this page. Select [Continue].
   
10. On the Review page, review the filing for accuracy. You can select a document link to open and view any of your uploaded documents. Select [Continue] when you are ready to proceed.
    
    Note: The Notes to clerk text entry field functions like a virtual sticky note on your filing. Anything entered in this box displays to the clerk while they process your filing, but is deleted once your filing is accepted. These notes are not permanently saved to the case.
11. On the Ready to file page, select the checkbox next to the filing(s) you wish to submit, or select the checkbox next to a county name to submit all filings for that county. Choose a Payment type and select the [File] (if no fee is due) or [File and Pay] button.
    
    Note: If you have set up a court debit account (CDA) with the circuit court you are filing, you will have the option to choose a payment method. To learn how to set up a CDA, see the Creating and managing a court debit account article. It is your responsibility to ensure proper funds are available in the account at the time of filing.
    If paying with a credit/debit card or eCheck via the US Bank ePayment website, a transaction fee will be applied to the total.
12. On the Filings submitted page, select [Make payment with US Bank] to proceed to the US Bank ePayment website and pay the associated filing fees.
    
    Note: Once you have advanced to this page, do not close your browser window or take a break. Selecting [File and pay] at the bottom of the previous page initiates a connection with the US Bank ePayment website that lasts for 10-15 minutes.
    If you wait longer than that to complete your payment or exit the system before the payment process is complete, you will need to select the $ payment needed link in the main navigation to make payment. You may need to wait 1-2 hours for the filing in need of payment to appear.
    
    Your filing will not be processed by the county until payment has been made. Filings will expire after 48 hours without payment.
    US Bank is the vendor that processes circuit court credit card and electronic check transactions. You do not need a US Bank checking or savings account to pay for filings on the US Bank ePayment website. You can pay using a Visa card, MasterCard, or electronic check.
13. Once payment is received, the new case filing is processed by the circuit court. You will receive an email confirmation, and the file-stamped document(s) will be visible on the My cases page of the eFiling website. The eFiling system generates an Electronic Filing Notice that must be printed and served traditionally along with other case initiating documents.