Individuals who fear for their safety — perhaps from a threatening domestic partner, roommate or stalker — might also be afraid to publicly pursue a protection order that can shield them from interactions or harassment from that person.

So a Seattle-area government program and Microsoft partnered to develop an online portal that makes it much easier for an applicant to file the required legal documents with the courts and connects them with an advocate if needed.

The Protection Order Portal is operated by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and has served 17 people per day on average since launching in June 2024.

The completely online process “helps save lives, and it helps people feel more safe in their home environment, in their community, and fewer children are witnesses to

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