How Do I File for a 209A Protective Order?

Go to the court. If you have police reports, medical records, or pictures showing the abuse, bring them with you. Don't worry if you don't have any of these things.

When you get to the court, go to the civil clerk's office. Tell the clerk that you want to file for a 209A protection order. The court clerk will give you some forms to fill out, including:

1. Instructions for Plaintiffs: A person who files a complaint in court is called a "plaintiff." This form tells you how to fill out the other forms. The instructions are on the third page of the Complaint for Protection from Abuse form.
2. Complaint for Protection from Abuse: This form is two pages. The first page has blanks for you to fill in with names and basic information about you, your relationship to the defendant, and what you are asking the court to order.
3. There is a separate Confidential Information form for your address and phone number so you can keep them secret from the abusive person.
4. You fill out the second page of the Complaint if you have a child and you want the court to include anything about your child in the order.
5. Affidavit of Abuse: This form is on the back page of the Complaint for Abuse Prevention form. You need to write on this form why you need the 209A protection order. You do not need to write a lot, but you need to be clear and you need to write down exactly what happened. Do not just say, "He threatens me." Instead, write down the things he said or did: "He told me he would get his gun and shoot me." Write down the things that happened most recently. Also write down what he did before.
6. Affidavit Disclosing Care and Custody Proceedings: The clerk should only give you this form if a child is involved. The form asks if there have been any other court cases about your child's custody or child support.
7. Confidential Information form: You put your name, home address, home phone number, workplace name, work address, and work phone number on this form. This information is "confidential," which means it is secret.
8. If you do not want the abusive person to find out your home address, workplace, or school address from the order, go to section J on the Complaint form, check the appropriate boxes 4a, 4b, or 4c.
9. Defendant Information form: This form asks for information about the abusive person. The court uses it to look up his criminal record and to serve him with a copy of the order.

Fill out these forms and give them back to the clerk.