Respond to a Protection Order
If you’re served with a Protection Order, you must obey it or you might be arrested. Read the Protection Order carefully to understand what you can and can’t do. Also read the Petition to understand what the other person is asking for, and why.
If you disagree with the Protection Order, you must respond in writing and go to any hearing that’s scheduled. If you don’t respond on time, a Temporary Protection Order will probably be made permanent for a year or more.
1. Fast facts
Why was I served protection order papers?
If you receive a Petition for Protection Order, it’s because the person who filed it (the Protected Person) claims that they’ve experienced domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault, or stalking by you against them.
If you also received a Temporary Protection Order, it’s because the Petition had enough evidence for the judge to take immediate action before the hearing. Read it carefully to understand its restrictions. If you don’t obey a Temporary Protection Order, whether on purpose or by accident, you could face consequences including contempt of court and criminal charges.
Warning! You can be arrested and charged with a crime even if the Protected Person invites or allows you to violate the order.
Do I have to respond to a protection order petition?
The court wants people to always respond in writing, especially if you’re fighting (contesting) the Protection Order. If you don’t respond on time, the other person will probably get what they’re asking for.
if you’re facing criminal charges that are directly related to the allegations in the Petition, you don’t need to respond, due to your constitutional right against self-incrimination.
What if I’m the one the order should protect?
You can say that and explain why in your written response. Also, file your own Petition for Protection Order.
If you don’t have time to do this before the hearing on the protection order against you, you can ask the judge for a Temporary Protection Order protecting you at that hearing. This is called “re-aligning the parties” — switching places so the person who was originally protected is now restrained. You’ll still have to file your own Petition to get a permanent order.
Community organizations can help! If you’ve experienced domestic violence, harassment, stalking, or sexual assault, or the threat of any of these, get help from your local domestic violence shelter or sexual assault center. Shelters provide safety planning, temporary shelter, legal advocacy, counseling, and other services.
Visit Washington State Domestic Violence Information & Referral to search for local programs by county, or for culturally/community specific or Tribal programs.
You can call, text, or chat online with advocates 24/7 at any of these:
- National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-7233
- National Sexual Assault Hotline, 1-800-656-4673
- StrongHearts Native Helpline (a peer support service of the National DV Hotline), 1-844-762-8483