For a person to obtain a TRO, that person must go to court and fill out the required paperwork explaining to the judge what occurred and why that person needs a restraining order. This person can ask the judge to issue a Temporary Restraining Order without notifying the other party.
Temporary Restraining Order. (CLETS-TRO) (Domestic Violence Prevention) DV-110.
The TRO will usually last for a few weeks. Then there will be a hearing to decide whether the applicant should get a Permanent Restraining Order. (This order is actually limited to five years.)
Fill out all required forms Request for Civil Harassment Restraining Orders (form CH-100) Confidential CLETS Information (form CLETS-001) Notice of Court Hearing (form CH-109) Temporary Restraining Order (form CH-110) Civil Case Cover Sheet (form CM-010)
Once you turn in your request, a judge will decide quickly whether to grant temporary protection. The whole process can take a few weeks to months, depending on how complicated your case is. If the judge grants you a long-term restraining order, it can last up to five years.
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 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.