Process Overview
This website presents a list of questions, and then at the end generates the paperwork for case
HOW THIS WEBSITE WORKS
This website provides a guided experience to people who are working themselves on preparing the court forms for a Domestic Violence Protection (Restraining) Order.
1. Take Screening
Select the specific protection order you want to file for. Then answer a few questions to determine your eligibility.
2. Prepare Case Documents
Prepare the main set of your court documents by covering one topic at a time. Each topic is covered in simple and non-legal language. Your responses are then used populate a fresh copy of the official court forms.
3. Consult Advocate (Optional)
Depending on your situation, we can suggest any trusted free victim advocacy non profits. These are court departments or advocates who assist victims documentation and safety planning.
4.E-File DVPO (Restraining Order) Documents
This website simplifies the filing to a couple of clicks, and get follow up notifications from the court.
how to get a Domestic Violence Civil Protection Order (DV-CPO)
How to get a restraining order or more precisely how to get a Civil Protection Order? Getting a civil protection order typically involves filing the case and attending a hearing which can take anywhere from one day (emergency situations) to up to three weeks.
Step 1
You: Gather evidence. What do you need to get a Dating Violence Civil Protection Order?
Gather Evidence to Support Your Case
While your own personal testimony counts as evidence, collecting additional proof can strengthen your case when seeking a Dating Violence Civil Protection Order (DV-CPO).
Below are types of evidence commonly accepted by the court:
Evidence Type 1: Pending Criminal Case
If there’s an ongoing criminal case related to the dating violence, it’s important to mention it. Judges may be more likely to grant a protection order if a criminal case is already in progress, as it suggests that law enforcement or the prosecutor believes there’s enough proof of the abuse.
Evidence Type 2: Photos of Injuries or Property Damage
Photos are powerful visual evidence. These may include pictures of physical injuries or damaged property caused by the abuser. Try to include the photos alongside a description of the incident to give the judge full context.
Evidence Type 3: Messages, Emails, or Voicemail Transcripts
You can print out or take screenshots of text messages, emails, or voicemails that show threatening, abusive, or harassing communication. These can be submitted as printed images or PDF files. Most courts do not accept digital files like videos or audio recordings directly.
Evidence Type 4: 911 or Hotline Calls
If you contacted emergency services or a domestic violence hotline, provide specific details such as:
The phone number called
Date and time (or approximate) of the call
Who made the call
What was reported
Any details about the operator (e.g., male or female voice)
Evidence Type 5: Medical Records
Include medical documents related to injuries caused by the abuser. These might include hospital visit summaries, emergency room reports, or records from an online portal (like MyChart).
Evidence Type 6: Police Reports
If a police report was filed against the abuser, you can include a copy of that report. It serves as formal documentation of the incident.
Evidence Type 7: Witness Testimony
Statements from witnesses—such as friends, neighbors, coworkers, or bystanders—can support your case. A testimony is typically a written statement describing what the person saw or heard, including as many specific details as possible.
Step 2
You: Take Online Screening
Find out if your situation may qualify for a Dating Violence Civil Protection Order by completing a quick screening. To get started, enter your ZIP code in the top right corner.
Step 3
You: Create Case Documents - "Packet"
After the screening, this website will guide you through the remaining steps to create your case documents.
For your awareness: To apply for a Dating Violence Civil Protection Order (DV-CPO), you must complete and submit a specific set of official court forms approved in Ohio. These forms ask detailed questions to help the court understand your situation and the individuals involved.
The most important form is the petition, officially titled "Petition for Protection Order."
Step 4
You: E-file with the Court. How to File a Dating Violence Civil Protection Order in Ohio
This website also lets you digitally sign and e-file your documents directly with the court.
While other websites may offer court forms, they don’t allow you to officially file with the court.
To formally ask the court for a Dating Violence Civil Protection Order (DV-CPO), you must submit your completed documents to the court clerk. This is called filing, and there are two ways to do it—both are equally valid:
Online (E-file)
In person at the courthouse
E-filing is a convenient option available 24/7, and you can do it from anywhere. If you file after court hours, your filing date will be the next business day.
Your case will be filed in the Court of Common Pleas in your county—usually in the Domestic Relations or General Division of the court, depending on the county.
Once your filing is accepted, the court will assign a case number, which confirms that your case has officially started.
Step 5
Judge Issues a Temporary Protection Order
Based on the facts and evidence you provide, a judge may issue a same-day emergency protection order, also known as an Emergency Temporary Order, to offer immediate safety until the court hearing.
In situations that are considered lower risk, the court may issue a Temporary Protection Order (TPO) within a few days instead.
If the court finds that there are no legal grounds for the order, the application is incomplete, or the court does not have jurisdiction, the request may be denied. In some cases, the court may still schedule a hearing so both sides can present their case.
Temporary orders typically last for about 3 weeks, which is the usual time until the full court hearing. If the hearing is delayed for any reason, you should contact the court to make sure the temporary order is extended until the new hearing date.
Step 6
Law Enforcement: Delivers Temporary Protection Order to the abuser
Serving the Abuser with the Order
Once your temporary protection order is issued, it must be formally served to the abuser (also called the respondent). Only after the abuser is served does the order become legally enforceable—meaning any violation can result in arrest or criminal charges.
This can happen in one of the following ways:
Service by Law Enforcement: In many cases, the clerk of court will arrange for law enforcement to serve the documents. You don’t need to take any action yourself in this situation.
Service by You (Through an Adult or Courier): Sometimes, the clerk will give you a packet containing the temporary protection order and related documents. You will then need to have these formally delivered by another adult or a licensed process server.
911-Packet (When Address Is Unknown): If the abuser’s address is unknown or hard to reach, the court may give you a "911-Packet"—a complete set of the order and documents. This can be useful if there's a future encounter and police are called. Officers can then physically serve the documents on the spot.
Step 7
You, Abuser: Attend Court Hearing
Attend a hearing: The court holds a hearing within a couple of weeks where the evidence is examined. If there is sufficient supporting evidence as determined by a Judge, a full restraining order is issued. At this point it becomes a crime for the abuser to break the conditions of the restraining order.
If the abuser misses this hearing even though they were served the court order on time (about 1 week before the hearing) then you might get the court order automatically i.e. without discussion and further evidence.
Step 8
You: Collect Final Order
After the hearing, a final order may be issued. You can take a paper copy of the order with you for your record, and which can be crucial if you have to call the police for a future incident. The order is typically valid for 1 year.
WHO CAN START A CASE
This website provides a guided experience to people who are working themselves on preparing the court forms for a Domestic Violence Restraining Order.
1. Victim 15+ years
Anyone 15 years or older, and without a parent's permission can create the paperwork and file to start a case.
2. On behalf of a minor (under 18)
Someone 15 or older can petition on behalf of a minor who is a family or household member.
3. On behalf of a senior or disabled person
An adult can file on behalf of a vulnerable adult
WHAT PROTECTIONS CAN YOU ASK THE JUDGE FOR
Here are the typical restrictions places on the abuser via the restraining order.
Stay Away From You
Abuser would have to stay at least 100 yards away from you, your children and locations you request such as your work
Hand over a car
Get access to cars held by the abuser
Don't post intimate images
Take down, delete, and do not distribute intimate images of a protected person, as defined in RCW 9A.86.010.
Not to contact you
Not to contact you via phone or text or mutual friends
Vacate the shared residence
The respondent can be asked to vacate the shared residence. You can also request help from police to kick them out.
Restrict Abusive Litigation
This is to prevent the misuse of the legal system to harass, intimidate, or burden you.
Not stalk you
Not stalk you or your loved ones, including your accounts on facebook or other social media
Handover Passport, Cell phone, Medications etc.
You an ask for your personal items such as passport, medications, clothes. This would be applicable if you were living together up to now.
Get Drugs, Mental health and Sex Offender Treatment
You can request the abuser to seek treatment for alcoholism, drug use, domestic violence abuse (RCW 43.20A.735) or sex offender (RCW 18.155.070)
FILED AT WA COURTHOUSE
Your case documents are filed at a Superior or District Court in your county. Here are examples of some.
Snohomish Superior Court
King County Superior Court
Spokane County Superior Court
Okanogan County Superior Court
Chelan County Superior Court
Clark County Superior Court
Cowlitz County Superior Court
Lewis County Historic Courthouse
Skagit County Superior Court
Benton County Superior Court
Yakima County Superior Court
Grant County Courthouse in Ephrata, Washington
Franklin County Superior Court
Skamania County Superior Court
Garfield County Superior Court
Columbia County Superior Court
Wahkiakum County Superior Court
Ferry County Superior Court
Pend Oreille County Superior Court
San Juan County Superior Court
Pacific County Superior Court
Jefferson County Courthouse
Douglas County Superior Court
Stevens County Superior Court
Whitman County Superior Court
Mason County Superior Court
Grays Harbor County Superior Court
Clallam County Superior Court
Franklin County Superior Court
Skamania County Superior Court
Klickitat County Superior Court
Resources
Official website of the Washington Courts which provides court forms and instructions.
WCSAP unites agencies engaged in eliminating sexual violence and provides information and training to members
WSCADV is a resource for programs that assist domestic violence survivors and their families
The VINE system is a free service that allows petitioners to register for notification when a protective order of any type that has been served or is about to expire.
Do Protection Orders Help?
Here the outcome of a research on domestic violence from University of New Hampshire
1. Reduce Violence
Domestic Violence Protection (restraining) Order and restraining orders in general are effective in reducing violence and harassment. For half the women in the sample studied, a protective (restraining) order stopped the violence. For the other half, the orders significantly reduced violence and abuse.
2. Cost Effective
Domestic Violence Protection (restraining) orders are free for the victims. They are a relatively low-cost solution for the government, particularly when compared with the social and personal costs of partner violence.
3. Cities vs. Countryside
The impact of civil protective orders on reducing violence and abuse did not differ for rural (country side) and urban (cities) women. In rural areas, where resources and services for partner violence may be more limited, it is critical to reduce barriers to obtaining protective orders as research indicates they may be an effective resource. Community-level barriers to enforce civil protective orders exist for women in rural areas.
RISKS
The abuser may react to your filing for a restraining order
the abuser particularly in domestic violence situations may react with anger due to the perceived loss of control over you and your household.
The respondent make drain bank accounts, max out credit cards, damage cars or houses or do other damage to jointly owned property.
A particular risk is if the respondent has access to guns or other firearms they might actually kill you. Here's an example from 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana
The abuser may report you or your loved ones undocumented US immigration status to the U.S authorities, or cancel health insurance.
Fearing restrictions on custody or visitations the abuser may preemptively take the children away or just call the Child Protective Services against you.
The abuser may spread false information particularly on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or other social media.
Calculating the Risk Level
The Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) is a questionnaire used by law enforcement and other professionals, often in the context of domestic violence situations, to assess the risk of murder in cases involving intimate partner violence.
The questionnaire has about 20 questions designed to evaluate the severity and potential danger of a situation. These questions may cover aspects such as the presence of weapons, history of violence, threats of harm, and other factors that could indicate an increased risk of lethal violence.
- Has the physical violence increased in severity or frequency over the past year?
- Does the abuser own a gun? Or has he ever used a weapon against you or threatened you with a lethal weapon particularly a gun?
- Have you ever lived together? And if yes then have you left the abuser after living together during the past year?
- Is he unemployed?
- Has the abuser threatened to kill you? Do you believe he is capable of killing you?
- Does he threaten to harm your children?
- Does he ever try to choke/strangle you or cut off your breathing? . If yes to the previous question, has he done it more than once, or did it make you pass out or blackout or make you dizzy?
- Has he avoided being arrested for domestic violence?
- Do you have a child with the abuser which is not his
- Has he ever forced you to have sex when you did not wish to do so?
- Does he use illegal drugs? By drugs, I mean “uppers” or amphetamines, “meth”, speed, angel dust, cocaine, “crack”, street drugs or mixtures. . Is he an alcoholic or problem drinker?
- Does he control most or all of your daily activities? For instance, does he tell you who you can be friends with, when you can see your family, how much money you can use, or when you can take the car? 18. In reference to the previous question, do you let him control most or all of your activities?
- Is he violently and constantly jealous of you? (For instance, does he say: “If I can’t have you, no one can.”)
- Have you ever been pregnant by him? Have you ever been beaten by him while you were pregnant?
- Has he ever threatened or tried to commit suicide?
- Have you ever threatened or tried to commit suicide?
- Does he follow or spy on you, leave threatening notes or messages, destroy your property, or call you when you don’t want him to?
Court Forms Created
When you pass the screening and complete the questionnaires, you can then download the following standard court forms filled correctly with your information. These court forms are provided by the Washington Courts.
Core Forms
TYPES OF PROTECTION (RESTRAINING) ORDERS in Washington State
In Washington there are six types of civil protection orders, with Domestic Violence Protection Order being one of them.
Domestic violence is abuse from a romantic partner, or a family or a household member. The abuse can involve physical or sexual violence, or a pattern of harassment or controlling behavior or merely threats to harm.
Vulnerable adults means senior citizens or other persons who have physical or mental disabilities. This protection order is aimed at protection them from someone who is mistreating them or exploiting them financially.
This protection order applies to situations involving unwanted sexual conduct by someone who is not a romantic partner or a member of the victim's family or household.
May be filed by someone who is experiencing stalking conduct by someone who is not a romantic partner or, a family or household member.
For protection against any kind of unlawful or harassing behavior that is annoying or stressful and that serves no lawful purpose.
This is aimed at restricting access to firearms from someone who poses significant danger to self or others. This protection order must be requested by a family or household member or a law enforcement agency.