Frequently Asked Questions
How can I protect my children if the court orders visitation with my abuser?
Visit our Supervised Visitation page for more info
Will my order apply outside the state where it was issued? (Full faith and credit)
Full faith and credit is a federal law that says that an order entered in one state (or the District of Columbia, Tribal Lands, or US Territories) is enforceable in any other state, the District of Columbia, Tribal lands, or US Territories. Therefore, if you are issued a protection order in the state of Washington then your order is enforceable throughout the US.
If you have any questions about whether your order will be afforded full faith and credit outside of the State of Washington, please contact the Protection Order Advocacy Program. For more information about full faith and credit, please refer to the following website (link provided is broken).
Should I hire an attorney?
When the Domestic Violence Protection Act (Chapter 26.50 RCW) was originally passed, the process was specifically designed so that victims of domestic violence would be able to file the action on their own (also known as "pro se") and not have to hire an attorney to represent them through the process. As a result, the process is designed for non-attorneys and the Commissioners and Judges who hear protection order cases are used to having unrepresented parties in front of them. The majority of people who pursue protection orders do so without attorneys. Regardless, you may decide that your case may be too complicated or too difficult for you to represent yourself. If that is the case, there are legal clinics and lawyer referral services to assist you in identifying someone who has expertise in family law and domestic violence cases (http://www.kcba.org/www.kcba.org). You can also contact a community based domestic violence program (click here for link) to see if they can refer you to low or no cost legal representation. If you are a resident of Seattle you may be eligible for legal services through the Seattle Domestic Violence Project of the Northwest Justice Program. Please contact the Protection Order Advocacy Program for more information.