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Make edits, fill in missing information, and update formatting in US Legal Forms—just like you would in MS Word.

Download a copy, print it, send it by email, or mail it via USPS—whatever works best for your next step.

Sign and collect signatures with our SignNow integration. Send to multiple recipients, set reminders, and more. Go Premium to unlock E-Sign.

If this form requires notarization, complete it online through a secure video call—no need to meet a notary in person or wait for an appointment.

We protect your documents and personal data by following strict security and privacy standards.
California law defines abuse as any act that puts you, your children, or another person in immediate fear of injury, as well as any act that causes harm to you or your property. If such harm exists, you can file a request for an order to keep the abuser away.
For emergency protective orders, the court will also need proof that you or your children are in immediate danger. You or the law enforcement officer may need to give testimony under oath about this probable danger.
A significant change in circumstances, such as improved behavior, completion of anger management or counseling programs, or evidence that the risk of violence has diminished, may provide grounds for seeking the dismissal of a restraining order.
If the judge or referee believes you have adequately established the elements of a restraining order (more on that below), it can issue a temporary restraining order. If the order is issued without notifying the other person, it's called an ex parte order.
If the judge decides that there was abuse and that there is also a credible threat to the plaintiff's safety, a final order of protection will be granted and will last for up to one year. The plaintiff will be directed to go to the clerks counter to wait for the order.
The applicant has the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that they qualify and need a protective order and the respondent (the person whom you are seeking protection against) has the opportunity to be heard as to why the restraining order shouldn't enter.
What is the Burden of Proof for a Protective Order? In protective order cases, the petitioner holds the burden of proof. Unlike in criminal cases where the petitioner must prove beyond a reasonable doubt, protection order case proofs are based on “preponderance of the evidence.”
The specific elements you need to prove to get a restraining order vary from state to state, but in general, you need to show: A specific instance or instances of abuse or harassment (such as sexual assault by an intimate partner) The threat of violence or of further abusive behavior or harassment.