Skip to main content

Circuit court eFiling - Opting in on a guardianship case as a designated filer

  • Updated

    • Purpose: A designated filer is a non-lawyer representative who is designated to file documents for and manage guardianship (GN) cases on behalf of businesses or corporations, such as nursing homes. In order to electronically file documents on existing guardianship cases as a designated filer, you must follow the steps below to opt in.

    Applicable Users: Designated filers, Corporate guardians

    Prerequisites:

    • If the case is a traditional paper case, it must be converted to an electronic case before filers can opt in. Contact the clerk of circuit court’s office in the appropriate county to request the case be converted from a paper case to an electronic case.
    • An eCourts account is required to participate in eFiling; refer to the article Creating an eCourts account for additional information.
    • You must be added to the case as the designated filer for the applicable party before opting in. Contact the clerk of circuit court’s office for assistance.

    Steps:

    1. Visit the eFiling website at https://efiling.wicourts.gov/ and log in. For more information, see the Logging into Wisconsin circuit court eFiling guide.
    2. Select opt in from the main menu or the [Opt in] button from the bottom menu.
      Wisconsin Circuit court eFiling homepage with attention called to opt in hyperlink and button
      Note: You can also opt in by selecting the Opt in as an electronic party link on the my cases page.
      eFiling My cases page with attention called to Opt in as an electronic party hyperlink
    3. Select the County in which the case is filed and enter the applicable Case number. Then, select the Party that you are designated to file for and select your Email address.
      Opt in as an electronic party screen with attention called to County dropdown, Case number field, party selection dropdown and email field
      Note: Case numbers can be entered completely (ex. 2023GN000021) or in an abbreviated format (ex. 23GN21), but they must exclude dashes and spaces. This rule is applicable wherever you enter case numbers within the eFiling system.
    4. If you need to file any additional documents, select the Yes radio button beneath "Do you need to file additional documents?" Select [Continue] to proceed to the document upload screen. For more information on uploading documents, review steps 5 and 6 of the article eFiling to an existing case.
      Opt in screen with attention called to Do you need to file additional documents? yes/no prompt with Yes selected and continue button below it
    5. If you do not need to file any additional documents, select [Save] to proceed or select [Save, and opt in on another case] if there are additional cases you need to opt into.
      Opt in screen with attention called to Save button when no additional documents need to be filed
    6. On the Ready to file page, select the checkbox next to filings you wish to submit, or select the checkbox next to a county name to submit all filings in that county. Then, select [File] or [File and Pay].
      Ready to file page with attention called to selected electronic party registration checkbox and File and Pay button
      Note: If you have set up a court debit account (CDA) with the circuit court you are filing in, you will have the option to choose a payment method. To learn how to set up a CDA, see the article Creating and managing a court debit account. 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.
    7. On the Filings submitted page, select [Make payment with US Bank] to proceed to the US Bank ePayment website and pay associated filing fees. If fees were not assessed, the [Make payment with US Bank] button will display as [Return to main menu].
      Filings submitted success screen with attention called to Make payment with US Bank button
      Note: Once you have advanced to this page, do not close out of 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 only stays open for 10-15 minutes.
      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.
    8. After you submit your opt-in request, it is transmitted to the courts and processed when both the request and payment (if fees were assessed) are received. An email confirming that you are an electronic notice (eNotice) party will be delivered to you. The case will be visible on the My cases page of the eFiling website where you can access filed documents and other case information.
      Example electronic party registration notification email
      Note: Opt-in requests that have not yet been processed display with a status of Opt in pending on the My cases page.

    Support

    Contact the eFile support center if you have further questions. Staff are available Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except for court holidays.

    Phone: 1-800-462-8843
    Online support form: https://www.wicourts.gov/ecourts/efilesupportform.htm
    Email: efilesupport@wicourts.gov

    Wisconsin Court Systems (Updated: )