Orders of Protection Extended to Two Years Under New Law
by Clara Colmenero
PHOENIX (September 26, 2022) – Domestic violence victims will soon have additional time to take safety measures as orders of protection will be extended from one year to two years.
House Bill 2604, which took effect Sept. 24, doubles the duration of an Order of Protection.
Anyone needing to file an order of protection can visit any of the four Maricopa County Superior Court Law Library Resource Centers located across the Valley to obtain assistance in person. Protective Orders can also be obtained by visiting any justice of the peace or city court.
Those wanting to start the process online can utilize the Arizona Protective Order Initiation and Notification Tool by visiting https://AZPoint.azcourts.gov. The website will guide the person to fill out the forms needed. The forms are available at no cost to the public. Once the forms are complete, the person would be required to file their petition at an Arizona court and have a hearing.
“Those wanting to start the process of a Protective Order in person will need to locate a court to file the protective order,” said Court Administration Supervisor Lorri Behunin. “If there is an open Family court case, you can go to one of the four Maricopa County Superior Court locations in the Protective Order Areas. Once at the court, paperwork will be completed, and a case number will be issued. After filing, an Ex-Parte hearing will be held with a commissioner to determine if the Protective Order can be granted.”
There are three different types of Protective Orders, including Injunction Against Harassment, Order of Protection and Injunction Against Workplace Harassment. A person’s relationship with the other party will determine which protective order to file. The only protective order with a fee is the Petition for Injunction Against Workplace Harassment, which is $301.
Victims of domestic violence are encouraged to talk to a victim advocate before filing their petitions. The victim advocate is co-located in the Law Library Resource Center and can provide additional resources such as information about emergency shelters, crisis intervention and hotlines, and counseling services. It is important to note that the advocates are not attorneys and cannot give legal advice.
For more information about how to file an order of protection visit https://superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/llrc/protective-orders/ or call the Law Library Resource Center at (602) 506-7353. Law Library Resource Center locations include Downtown Phoenix (101 W. Jefferson Street), Northeast Phoenix (18380 N. 40th Street), Surprise (14264 W. Tierra Buena Lane) and Mesa (222 E. Javelina Ave.).
###
The Judicial Branch of Arizona in Maricopa County is comprised of Superior Court, Adult Probation and Juvenile Probation, which includes juvenile detention. The Judicial Branch in Maricopa County is the fourth largest trial court system in the nation and, along with its 3,000 employees, is dedicated to providing a safe, fair and impartial forum for resolving disputes, enhancing access to services, and providing innovative, evidence-based practices that improve the safety of the community and ensure the public’s trust and confidence in the Judicial Branch. For more information, visit https://superiorcourt.maricopa.gov.
Contact: Clara Colmenero, PIO c.colmenero@jbazmc.maricopa.gov (602) 372-0874