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Start your protection order petition
What to expect
Although you will need to file with either the King County Superior Court or District Court for your protection order petition, we can help you gather the needed information.
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Is a protection order right for you?
Before applying for a protection order, check if it is the right next step for your situation.
- Learn more about what a protection order can do and how a safety plan can help.
- Find out which civil protection order type could work for you.
- Making the decision to file a protection order can be difficult. Work with an advocate to help you understand your options.
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Complete your forms
An advocate, community advocate, or attorney can help you with these forms.
Get your protection order forms by:
- Using Washington Law Help’s online interview to create your protection order paperwork
- Picking them up in-person at King County Superior Court or District Court clerk's offices.
- Printing them out on the WA Courts website
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File your forms
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Go to “Ex Parte” Hearing for Temporary Orders
Once you have filed your forms, you will go to an Ex Parte Court. These are held either online or in person. A judge will review your petition and approve or deny your order.
After a temporary order is either granted or denied, a 2-week return hearing is scheduled.
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Paperwork is processed
The respondent in the case must also be served orders. This is a packet of information that must be given to the person a certain number of days before the next hearing.
Learn more about serving, filing additional materials, and requesting a copy of a police report
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Attend hearing(s) and give testimony
There could be multiple hearings that you need to attend throughout this part of the process.
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Judge rules
Your protection order is either granted or denied.
Fill out your protection order forms online
Filing for a Civil Protection Order can be overwhelming. The King County Protection Order Portal (POP) is currently under construction. We provide instructions here on how to complete your forms online using Washington Law Help.
Start your forms on Washington Law Help
- Visit the Washington Law Help's protection order webpage. Scroll down to the Quick Start option to “Fill out Protection Order Forms”.
- You will be redirected to a new page. Here you can choose to “Start as a Guest” or “Create Account”.
Creating an account on Washington Law Help is optional. However, if you want to save your progress, you must create an account.
Advocate Assistance Note
If yours is a domestic violence case between current or previous intimate partners (including brief dating relationships), you may qualify for advocate assistance. Our advocates can review forms from Washington Law Help for qualifying cases. Connect with our office to see if you qualify, or for help downloading your completed documents from Washington Law Help and sending them to us by email.