An Illinois Petition for Order of Protection is a legal document filed in court by a victim of domestic violence, stalking, or any other form of abuse. It is used to request a court order that will protect the petitioner from further harm or harassment from the respondent. The petitioner must provide detailed information about the abuse, including the type of abuse, dates, and any threats made by the respondent. The court will review the petition and may grant the petitioner an emergency order of protection, which is valid for up to 21 days. If the court finds that the petitioner has a valid claim, they will issue a plenary order of protection, which is valid for up to two years. A plenary order of protection can include provisions for no contact, supervised visitation, and/or the respondent to move out of the petitioner's residence. There are two types of Illinois Petition for Order of Protection: civil and criminal. A civil petition is filed by a private citizen and requires the respondent to appear in court. A criminal petition is filed by the state and requires the respondent to be arrested.