Domestice Violence/Harassment

Injunctions against Harassment and Orders of Protection can be issued by any court in Arizona regardless of the location of the plaintiff and defendant. They can be issued either ex parte (with only one person present) or after a hearing. Both are good for one year after service on the defendant. Only the judge can terminate or change them. Filing fees and service of process charges may be deferred or waived depending on your financial circumstances. You may discuss this with the clerk when you visit the court to file of an order or injunction.

Order of Protection

On September 30, 2009 new laws affecting Orders of Protection went into effect. The information below reflects these changes. The purpose of an Order of Protection is to restrain another person from committing an act of domestic violence, as defined in A.R.S.13-3601A. To be granted an order, you must be one of following:

• The relationship is one of marriage or former marriage or of persons residing or having resided in the same household.
• A parent of a child of the defendant.
• Pregnant by the defendant.
• Related to the defendant or the defendant's spouse by blood or court order as a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, brother or sister or by marriage as a parent-in-law, grandparent-in-law, stepparent, step-grandparent, stepchild, step-grandchild, brother- in-law or sister-in-law.
• A child who resides or has resided in the same household as the defendant and is related by blood to a former spouse of the defendant or to a person of the opposite sex who resides or who has resided in the same household as the defendant.
• The relationship is currently or was previously a romantic or sexual relationship. The following factors may be considered in determining whether the relationship between the victim and the defendant is currently or was previously a romantic or sexual relationship:
  1. The type of relationship.
  2. The length of the relationship.
  3. The frequency of the interaction between the victim and the defendant.
  4. If the relationship has terminated, the length of time since the termination.

The clerks at any Justice Court will provide you with the Petition for Order of Protection. You may request that information regarding your current address, phone number and employment be kept confidential and not be disclosed to the defendant.

Please review the Arizona Supreme Court's Domestic Violence Information Page to access comprehensive local and statewide resources for those at risk of domestic violence. Click [here] to download the Order of Protection Worksheet.Click [here] for the online Petition for Order of Protection/Injunction Against Harrassment Forms.

return to top Injunction Against Harassment

The purpose of an Injunction Against Harassment is to restrain a person from committing acts of harassment. Harassment, as defined by A.R.S.12-1809R, is a series of acts over any period of time directed at a specific person that would cause, or has caused, a reasonable person to be seriously alarmed, annoyed or harassed and that serves no legitimate purpose.

Justices of the Peace will sign Orders of Protection at any time during normal (8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Monday - Friday). You do not need an appointment or prescheduled time though you should call the court in advance to confirm that the judge will be available when you wish to appear. Click [here] to download the Injunction Against Harassment Worksheet.

return to top Injunction Against Workplace Harassment

The Injunction Against Workplace Harassment, which went into effect on December 31, 2000, is very similar to the more familiar "Injunction Against Harassment."

There are two basic differences between the regular injunction against harassment and the new workplace injunction. First of all, a person petitions for a regular injunction, whereas a business, or an authorized agent of a business or employer, petitions for a workplace injunction. Secondly, a regular injunction protects a person, and follows that person around, whereas a workplace injunction protects a place, stays at that place and protects employees, customers, visitors - whoever comes into that place. return to top