Protective orders
If you’re not safe at home, start here
If you are in danger right now, call 911.
An order of protection tells someone to stay away from you, your home, your work and sometimes your children. You can ask a judge for one the same day, and it starts once it’s served.
This website has a button at the top that leaves the page at once. If someone checks your phone or computer, use a device they can’t see, and clear your history afterward. The National Domestic Violence Hotline answers day and night at 1-800-799-7233.
We also represent people who’ve been served with an order and believe it’s wrong. Both sides deserve a careful lawyer at the hearing.
How we help
What we do around a protective order
Filing the petition
We help you write what happened clearly, so the judge sees why you need the order.
The hearing
If the other side asks for a hearing, we prepare your evidence and stand beside you in the courtroom.
Getting there safely
We plan your arrival and exit with the court’s security and with you.
The children
An order can affect parenting time. We make sure the custody case and the order fit together.
Answering an order
If an order names you, we explain what it forbids and ask for a hearing if it’s wrong.
Afterward
Renewing an order, reporting violations and changing it when circumstances change.
Protective order questions, answered gently
Do I need a lawyer to get an order?
No. Anyone can ask the court directly. A lawyer helps most at a contested hearing and when the order touches custody.
Will the other person know I called you?
No. We only contact you the way you tell us is safe.
How long does an order last?
Usually a year from service, and it can often be renewed. Ask us about the rules where you live.
What if they break the order?
Call the police. Breaking an order can be a crime. Then tell us, so we can bring it to the family court as well.
Tell us a safe way to reach you
A safe number, a safe time, and whether we can leave a message. We follow it exactly.