How to Lodge an Enforcement Application on the eCourts Portal WA

Electronic filing is mandatory for civil enforcement applications in the Magistrates Court of Western Australia. Everything goes through the eCourts Portal at ecourts.justice.wa.gov.au — from means inquiry applications to property seizure orders. If you have never used the portal for enforcement, the form names and dropdown menus can be bewildering the first time through.

Setting Up Your Portal Account

If you filed the original claim through the eCourts Portal, you already have an account. Log in with the same credentials.

If someone else filed the claim (a solicitor, for example) or the case started on paper, you need to register a new account and then link your existing court file. You will need your court file reference number and your Person ID — both appear on any correspondence the court has sent you. The portal uses these to match you to the right case.

Choosing the Right CJE Form

Almost every enforcement application uses CJE Form 6 (Application or Request to a Court). It is a multi-purpose form — what changes is the type of order you select within it. The portal presents this as a dropdown or checkbox selection, not as separate forms.

Here is what you select on CJE Form 6 depending on what you need:

• Means Inquiry (CJEA s. 27): to examine the debtor under oath about their finances
• Time for Payment Order (CJEA s. 32): to set a deadline for full payment
• Instalment Order (CJEA s. 33): to set up periodic payments
• Earnings Appropriation Order (CJEA s. 35): to garnish wages (requires a defaulted and cancelled instalment order first)
• Debt Appropriation Order (CJEA s. 46): to garnish a bank account or third-party debt
• Property (Seizure and Sale) Order (CJEA s. 69): to seize and sell goods or real property

Two other forms come up in enforcement but serve different purposes:

• CJE Form 24 (Application for Enforcement Order Against Third Person): used when a third party objects to a debt appropriation order and you want the court to determine the dispute
• CJE Form 9 (Application for Suspension Order): filed by the debtor to pause enforcement — not something you file as the creditor, but something you should know exists

Filing Step by Step

Once you are logged in and viewing your case:

1. Select the enforcement application type from the portal's filing menu
2. Complete CJE Form 6, selecting the specific enforcement order you want
3. Upload any supporting documents — an affidavit is required for some applications, particularly suspension orders
4. Pay the prescribed fee by credit card through the portal's payment gateway
5. Submit — the portal generates a receipt and the sealed order is returned to your dashboard once processed

Current prescribed fees for common enforcement applications:

If you hold a Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card, select the "Eligible Individual" fee scale during filing — concession fees are significantly lower. Without a concession card, you can apply for fee remission using CJE Regulations Form 4.

Common Mistakes

Filing the wrong order type. The most frequent confusion is between a Means Inquiry and a Debt Appropriation Order. A means inquiry is for when you do not know what the debtor owns or earns. A DAO is for when you know they have a specific bank account you want to garnish.

Applying for an EAO without a defaulted instalment order. Under the CJEA, you cannot go straight to wage garnishment. The debtor must first be on an instalment order, default on it (miss two or more payments), and have the order cancelled by the court. Only then can you apply for an EAO.

Forgetting to link the case. If you cannot see enforcement options in the portal, you likely have not linked your Person ID to the case file.

When Paper Filing Is Still Allowed

If you cannot file electronically due to a disability, lack of internet access, or another genuine barrier, you can apply for an exemption using Form 69 (Application for Exemption from Electronic Lodgement). If a Registrar grants the exemption, you can file paper forms at any Magistrates Court registry across Western Australia — Perth Central Law Courts, Fremantle, Joondalup, Midland, Rockingham, and regional registries in Bunbury, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Broome, South Hedland, and Kununurra.

Next Steps

Once your application is processed, the next step depends on what you filed. A means inquiry summons needs to be personally served on the debtor at least 5 clear days before the hearing. A DAO gets served on the bank. A PSSO goes to the Sheriff for execution.

The complete WA judgment enforcement guide walks through each enforcement order from filing to completion, including the service requirements and what to do when things go wrong.

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