COVID-19 Resources and Updates

Civil Protection Orders

Court-issued civil protection orders provide domestic violence victims with important options while influencing batterers to stop the abuse. An integrated and consistent protection order system that coordinates issuing, serving, and enforcing court orders promotes victim safety and helps save lives. The NCJFCJ recognizes that an effective civil protection order system relies upon the interplay and interdependence of each profession’s work; judges, law enforcement, prosecutors, advocates, civil attorneys, and others. We seek to increase the capacity of communities, courts, judges, and related professionals to enhance victim safety and offender accountability through effective protection order practices.

 

The NCJFCJ works within a network of national organizations to promote improved civil protection order practice. We offer technical assistance to courts, judges, and other professionals to address challenges and emerging needs identified by those involved in the issuance, service, and enforcement of protection orders. In addition, we conduct webinars and workshops on topics concerning protection orders, including custody and visitation, victim autonomy, compliance review, and firearms surrender. We also provide on-site multi-disciplinary training based on an interactive curriculum designed to help communities assist victims with a unified, cohesive, and reliable response. The participatory workshop model for this curriculum brings together the various professionals needed to implement system change and improvement through coordinated community responses. Our roundtables and other structured discussions with judges and justice system professionals explore the challenging issues involving the protection order process and identify possible strategies for addressing those issues. These discussions often lead to the development of new materials or resources for judges and other professionals. Together, the NCJFCJ’s technical assistance, training, and resource development offer courts and communities the opportunity to enhance their ability to safeguard victims of domestic violence, provide for children’s safety and wellbeing through the use of child-related relief in civil protection orders, and hold abusers accountable.

Publications

Civil Protection Orders: A Guide for Improving Practice

Author:

Emilie Meyer, JD, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges

Published:

Jan 1, 2010

Supplement to Civil Protection Orders: A Guide for Improving Practice - Community Supervision

Author:

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges

Published:

Jun 1, 2019

Supplement to Civil Protection Orders: A Guide for Improving Practice - Court Staff/Court Administration

Author:

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges

Published:

Jun 1, 2019




Additional Information

Below is a list of links to other TA providers with additional CPO resources:

Webinars

Working with Interpreters in a Court Setting

Published:

Apr 20, 2020

Working with Interpreters in a Court Setting

This webinar was hosted by The National Center on Protection Orders and Full Faith and Credit in collaboration with the Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.

Working with an interpreter is essential to ensuring victim safety for individuals with limited English proficiency in the civil protection order process.

This webinar will provide participants with:

  • Tools and resources needed to effectively work with an interpreter
  • Skills to identify and address problems during interpretation
  • Language access resources to enhance language services for individuals seeking civil protection orders.

Civil Protection Orders and Remote Hearings: A Panel Discussion

Published:

May 1, 2020

This webinar focuses on how five different jurisdictions have used methods such as telephonic and video conferencing to hold hearings for the issuance of and compliance with civil protection orders in the face of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

The panelists include:

  • Chief Magistrate Judge Berryl Anderson, DeKalb Magistrate Court, Decatur, Georgia
  • Administrative Judge Carroll Kelly, Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, Miami, Florida
  • Chief Unified Family Court Judge Janet Helson, King County Superior Court, Seattle, Washington
  • Stacey Marz, Administrative Director, Alaska Court System
  • Amy Hernandez, Domestic Violence Program Coordinator & Justice Court Program Coordinator, Utah Administrative Office of the Courts




FAQs

What is the CPO Guide?

The NCJFCJ convened a group of national subject matter experts in 2009 to examine what new guidance was needed to promote improved practices in CPO cases. The group's efforts culminated in the creation of the Civil Protection Orders: A Guide for Improving Practice (CPO Guide). The document offers a Common Ground segment reflecting overall essential values and details specific guidance by profession.

What are the Common Ground values providing a framework for positive systems change in CPO processes?

The CPO Guide lists the following as universal values for professions:

  • Safety - protecting individuals from harm throughout the process
  • Autonomy - tailored relief that meets individual needs
  • Accessibility - a system that is open without barriers to seeking assistance
  • Competence - qualified, capable assistance available throughout the CPO system
  • Reliability - consistency and dependability within the system
  • Collaboration - CPO systems working from shared goals and prioritizing collaboration
  • Culture and Diversity - CPO systems reflecting the community and responding to specific needs and circumstances
  • Community Engagement - partnership and commitment between courts and communities to provide support/services and safety

What discipline-specific advice does the CPO Guide provide?

The original CPO Guide provides guidance for the following professions/disciplines: Advocates, Civil Attorneys, Courts & Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Prosecutors. Recent CPO Guide supplements provide guidance for two additional disciplines: Court Personnel and Court Supervision.

What technical assistance is available under this CPO project?

We offer a variety of technical assistance including access to publications (see Publications), webinars (recordings available, see Webinars), on-site and remote training (see TA Request), consultation or system collaboration and improvement (see TA Request or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and other assistance tailored to specific requests.



Request for Technical Assistance or Training

We do not provide direct services, legal advice, or legal assistance on individual cases. If you or someone you know is in danger, please contact 911 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.

We provide online and in person training and phone consultation to communities and professionals interested in improving their civil protection order systems. To submit a request, please use the form below.

?

Click the escape button on the right or the escape button on your computer's keyboard to escape from this site quickly. Computer use can be monitored and is impossible to completely clear. If you are afraid your internet usage might be monitored, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or TTY 1-800-787-3224.