The incident(s) must have occurred within the last six months, must involve a member of your family residing with you (or a person with whom you cohabitate), and must be in the nature of actual physical abuse or threat of harm. You cannot file a Domestic Abuse case in a situation involving only destruction of, or threat of harm to, property alone. Once you have completed the necessary paperwork, you will be given a court date for a hearing. This date is generally from 5 to 15 days from the time you file your case, since it is necessary for the defendant to be served with the summons and complaint. In special situations it may be possible to obtain an emergency order of protection within 24 hours, should the judge feel that such an order is warranted.

At the court hearing, an Order of Protection (sometimes referred to as a "restraining order") may be issued by the judge. Depending on your individual situation, the judge may also issue orders granting temporary alimony, child support, child custody, and possession of your home. These temporary orders may remain in effect for a period of 3 months to 1 year from the day they are issued. The purpose of the temporary orders is to give the plaintiff time to initiate additional legal action, such as a divorce or separation, or time for the defendant and/or plaintiff to seek counseling should they wish to pursue another course of action. Because each case is unique the exact outcome of any one case cannot be predicted.