Protective Order Advocacy Program provides advocacy for survivors of domestic violence who are residents of Washington County, Oregon. The program offers assistance with restraining orders, elder / disabled abuse protective orders, and civil stalking protective orders.
Services:
- Filing assistance (new petitions, renewals, dismissals, modifications)
- Advocacy
- Court accompaniment for restraining order-related hearings, including contested and violation hearings
- Contested hearings assistance
- Safety planning
- Referrals
- Community education
- Trainings
- Address Confidentiality Program
Restraining order eligibility criteria
Notes: A restraining order may be obtained after only one initial abusive contact. For more information about restraining orders in Oregon, click here.
You are eligible to obtain a restraining order against the following people:
- Someone you are married to or used to be married to
- Your adult relatives, either by blood, marriage or adoption
- Someone you are currently living with or used to live with in a sexually intimate relationship within the last two years
- Someone with whom you have had a sexually, intimate relationship with in the last two years, but never lived with
If you are under the age of 18, you can obtain a restraining order against someone over the age of 18, if that person is someone you are or were married to, or if you have ever had a sexual relationship with that person within the last six months.
Those over the age of 65 or disabled persons are excepted from these criteria. The application process in these cases is much more simplified. No qualifying relationship required, but petitioner must be elderly or disabled, and one incident of abuse is required. Such incidents may include, but are not limited to:
- Neglect
- Abandonment
- Sexual abuse
- Financial exploitation
- Inappropriate language causing emotional and/or physical harm
The requirements to qualify for a restraining order against another person are as follows:
- The incident must have occurred within the last six months; and/or
- Caused you bodily injury; and/or
- Attempted to cause you bodily injury; and/or
- Placed you in fear of imminent bodily injury; and/or
- Caused you to engage in a sexually, intimate relationship by force or by threat of force.
Restraining order procedures
In order to be seen by a judge on the same day, arrive at our office before 10:30 a.m. Appointments are not necessary; you will be assisted on the first come-first served basis. If you arrive after 10:30 a.m., you may fill out the applicable paperwork and be seen by a judge the following business day.
After collecting applications, at 10:30 a.m. advocates submit the packets to the judge for review. At 1:00 p.m. our advocates accompany all petitioners to the courtroom. You must be present at the hearing of your petition; the person you are filing against does not need to be there. After your name is called, the judge may ask questions to clarify the petition. You will be under oath and must answer all questions truthfully. Remember that an advocate will always be in the courtroom for support, and will be available for you outside the courtroom after the judge’s decision. However, advocates cannot speak for you or on your behalf, and are not there to represent you in any way.
Note: Child care is not available at our office or the courthouse. A play area in the restraining order room helps kids keep busy while you fill out the form, but children remain under your supervision. We join judges in recommending that children be left out of the courtroom, as you may be sharing traumatic experiences. We recommend bringing a support person along to care for your children.
There are no fees to file a restraining order.
Since February 2007 we have also been helping survivors of stalking or harassment to prepare for dealing with law enforcement agencies and for court proceedings (unlike restraining orders, stalking and harassment claims must proceed through law enforcement first, in order to assess whether the cases qualify for further court assessment).
Contact
We are housed within the Washington County Center for Victims’ Services, located on the first floor of the Washington County Courthouse in downtown Hillsboro, Oregon. Our office hours are Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Our fax number is 503.846.3040. For more information call 503.846.3020 or 503.846.3830.
If you wish to find out the status of any civil documents, including restraining orders, in Washington County using either a court case number, the petitioner’s name, or the defendant’s name, click here.
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