Personal Protection Matters

This section provides general information about personal protection actions.

The information provided in the Self-Help Center is not legal advice. The laws of Michigan do not allow the employees of the court or the judge to give you legal advice. You should consult with an attorney concerning legal issues, but you do not need an attorney to file a request for a protective order. If you are representing yourself, you are acting as your own attorney and this Self-Help Center may help you with the legal process.

The following is a brief description of a personal protection case. For specific information on processing your case, please click on the link.

A personal protection action involves seeking an order from the court to protect you from harassment, assault, beating, molesting, wounding, or stalking by another person. The order can also prohibit a person from entering your premises and from removing minor children, unless the removal is part of court-ordered parenting time. The person filing the petition for personal protection is called the petitioner. The person to be restrained by the personal protection order is called the respondent.

Types of Personal Protection Actions

There are two types of personal protection actions: domestic and nondomestic. A domestic personal protection order can be obtained if you have or had an established relationship with the other party or have a child in common. A nondomestic personal protection order can be obtained if you want to prevent threatening or violent behavior by someone with whom you have not had any form of domestic relationship; this type of order is also referred to as an order against stalking.

How Personal Protection Orders are Issued

There are two ways personal protection orders can be issued. The court can issue an order after the other person has been notified that you have filed for a personal protection order and after the court has held a hearing. The court may also issue a personal protection order without notifying the other person and without a hearing. This is called an ex parte order. In Michigan, most personal protection orders are issued ex parte.

Stalking

Although it is a crime in Michigan for someone to assault or threaten another person, Michigan law provides additional protection to persons who have a domestic relationship, or those who are being harassed or stalked by another person, by allowing them to seek a personal protection order. Stalking involves harassment that causes you to feel terrorized, threatened, intimidated, frightened or molested. This could include following you, making unwanted calls or mailings, or showing up repeatedly at your home or work.

For information about how to file a personal protection action and what else you need to do, see the Personal Protection Self-Help Center >>. The Michigan Judicial Institute offers web-based training at http://www.ppowbt.net/. You may find this training helpful in understanding the process for personal protection actions.

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Questions about this site should be sent to webinfo@courts.mi.gov.
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