Protection from Abuse

Need help?

If you are in danger, call: 911

You can also contact the Domestic Violence Hotline. They can help people find resources for emergency housing, medical care, and support and advocacy for you and your children. Call toll-free: 800-897-5465, or visit the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition website.

If you want to ask the court for a protective order and…	Then…
you live in Salt Lake County.	contact Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake to see if you qualify for free representation.
you live outside Salt Lake County.	contact Utah Legal Services to see if you qualify for free legal representation. Call 800-662-4545 Monday through Friday 9:00 am - 2:00 pm or contact Timpanogos Legal Center for help with preparing your documents. Call their Hotline 801-649-8895 Monday through Friday 9:00 am – 2:00 pm After hours leave a message

If you have been served with a protective order or stalking injunction

These web pages provide information about protective orders and stalking injunctions:

See the Finding Legal Help web page for information about free and low cost ways to get the help of an attorney.

Protection from abuse or stalking

A protective order or a stalking injunction can protect against domestic violence, intimate partner violence or stalking. Both are orders from a court.

The person requesting the order is called the petitioner. The petitioner can be protected by an order and may also request orders protecting other people, such as their children.
The person the order is requested against (and against whom it may be issued) is called the respondent.

A protective order or a stalking injunction can place restrictions on the respondent if the court finds the respondent threatened, attempted or committed violence against the petitioner or stalked the petitioner.

A protective order or a stalking injunction can order the respondent to:

avoid contact or communication in any way with people listed on the order,
stop committing or threatening violence against the petitioner,
stay away from the petitioner's home, work, school, or place of worship,
not have a firearm or other type of weapon.

A protective order can also temporarily give custody of any shared children to the petitioner.

If the respondent violates a protective order or stalking injunction, they can be arrested and charged with a Class A Misdemeanor.

Different resources for different relationships

There are several different types of court orders that can protect against abuse or stalking:

Whether a protective order or a stalking injunction is appropriate depends on the relationship between the petitioner and the respondent. Not every instance of abuse will involve a protective order, but there still might be help available. Below are different types of orders and resources available:

If you are the petitioner and your relationship to the respondent is…	And you are facing…	Then you can…
a cohabitant, which means you: are or were married, live or used to live together are or were in a consensual sexual relationship are related as a parent, step-parent, child, step-child, grandchild, grandparent, sibling, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew have or had children together, or are expecting a child.	abuse, including: Physical harm (such as hitting, kicking, pushing, pulling hair, using a weapon or other physical attacks) Threats of violence or physical harm (such as breaking things or throwing things to intimidate), or Domestic violence, as defined Utah Code 77-36-1 including sexual violence.	request a Cohabitant Protective Order. You must be 16 or older. However, a 16- or 17-year-old cannot ask for a protective order against their parent or their minor sibling. See the Protective Orders web page for more information and forms.
you are or were dating or in a dating relationship , which is: A social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature, or a relationship which has romance or intimacy as a goal by one or both parties, regardless of whether the relationship involves sexual intimacy. If you were in a consensual sexual relationship, you would be considered to be cohabitants – see above. A dating relationship does not mean casual fraternization in a business, educational, or social context.	dating violence or abuse, which might include: Physical harm (such as hitting, kicking, pushing, pulling hair, using a weapon or other physical attacks) Threats of violence or physical harm (such as breaking things or throwing things to intimidate)	request a Dating Violence Protective Order. You must be 18 years old or older, or be emancipated. See the Protective Orders web page for more information and forms.
you have no relationship, but you were: sexually assaulted by them, or were harmed by the distribution of an intimate image, or were harmed through human trafficking.	sexual violence, including: Rape Object rape Sodomy Forcible sodomy Forcible sexual abuse Aggravated sexual assault Custodial sexual relations Custodial sexual misconduct Indecent liberties Sexual exploitation of a vulnerable adult or a child Distribution of an intimate image Sexual extortion Human trafficking for forced sexual exploitation Aggravated human trafficking for forced sexual exploitation	request a Sexual Violence Protective Order. See the Protective Orders web page for more information and forms.
none of the above.	stalking.	request a Civil Stalking Injunction. A minor with a parent or guardian can file. See the Civil Stalking Injunctions web page for information and forms.
none of the above, and you are filing on behalf of a child under 18.	fear that the minor child has been or is facing an imminent threat of: physical abuse sexual abuse a sexual offense under Utah Code 76-5b-201 or 204 human trafficking of a child under Utah Code 76-5-308.5	request a Child Protective Order. Any interested adult can request an order to protects a minor child, including: parent other family members guardian teachers neighbors See the Child Protective Orders web page for information and forms.
none of the above and you are worried about a vulnerable adult. A vulnerable adult includes a person who is 65 years old or older, or a dependent adult who has a mental or physical impairment which affects their ability to: provide personal protection provide necessities such as food, shelter, clothing, or mental or other health care obtain services necessary for health, safety, or welfare carry out the activities of daily living manage the adult's own financial resources comprehend the nature and consequences of remaining in a situation of abuse, neglect, or exploitation	fear that a vulnerable adult is facing: physical or sexual abuse emotional or verbal abuse caretaker neglect self-neglect exploitation	file a report online with Adult Protective Services or call 1-800-371-7897 to make a report.

Make a safety plan

A safety plan is a personalized plan to stay safe if you are:

in an abusive relationship
preparing to leave an abusive relationship
leaving an abusive relationship
have left an abusive relationship.

See the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition's Safety Planning web page for more information.

Respond to a protective order or stalking injunction

If you are the respondent and you have been served with a protective order or stalking injunction, read the order carefully. Be sure to follow the order. If you do not follow the order, you can be arrested and charged with a Class A Misdemeanor.

For information about responding to a protective order or stalking injunction, see the web page that matches your order:

Make sure that the court has your correct contact information. The court needs your contact information to send you notices about the case. See the Notifying the Court of Address, Contact Information, or Name Changes web page for information and forms.