Topic
Restraining orders, domestic violence, stalking, and harassment — the protections available right now, in plain English. If you're in immediate danger, call 911.
Protective orders are built for speed, in a system not known for it. In most states, a judge can issue a temporary (ex parte) order the same day it is requested, based on the sworn petition alone, without the other person present. That order typically lasts until a full hearing — usually within a few weeks — where both sides can appear and the judge decides on a longer-term order, often a year or more. The scope is wider than most people expect: beyond keep-away distances, orders can require no contact through third parties, award temporary custody, grant exclusive use of a shared home, and require firearms to be surrendered. Filing is free in most states for domestic-violence orders, and no lawyer is required to get one.
Protective-order hearings move fast, and judges decide them on specifics: dates, messages, photographs, medical records, witness names. A contemporaneous log — even a simple note on a phone with the date and what happened — consistently carries more weight than a general account, and screenshots preserve messages that can be deleted remotely. None of this has to be assembled alone. Domestic-violence advocates, reachable through local organizations or the National Domestic Violence Hotline, help with safety planning, paperwork, and court accompaniment at no charge, and their conversations are confidential in most states. Many states also run address-confidentiality programs that provide a substitute mailing address after a move, keeping the new one out of public records.
NotALawyer.com is not a law firm. We provide general legal information only, not legal advice. Pay your attorney directly — we never take a cut.