If you are in immediate danger·Call 911 now.For confidential help any time, day or night, reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. This page is general information; it is not a substitute for emergency help or legal advice about your specific situation.
Domestic Violence & Protective Orders
Safety comes first.
You can take action now—and you don't have to do it alone.
Kentucky law gives you a way to seek protection, and in an emergency a judge can act the same day. You do not have to navigate it alone, and you do not have to have everything figured out before you call us.
A confidential conversation. No commitment, no pressure.
If You're Afraid Right Now
Protection is one of the few legal tools designed to move fast.
Fear has a way of making everything feel frozen. The most common reason people wait is a quiet belief that taking action will be slow, that the process is confusing, or that asking the court for protection will only provoke the other person and make things worse.
Here is the honest truth. A protective order is one of the few legal tools designed to move fast. When there is an immediate danger, a Kentucky judge can issue emergency protection the same day, without the other person present. You don't file a stack of paperwork and wait months. And there is no filing fee to seek a protective order.
You also don't have to know the law to ask for help. That is our job. Because this firm's practice is limited to family law, your safety is not a side matter squeezed between unrelated cases. It is the case. If children are involved, that changes nothing about how seriously we treat it—it raises the stakes. Protection can extend to them too.
How It Works in Kentucky
Two main paths, and a process built to move quickly.
Every situation turns on its own facts, and what follows is general.
EPO and DVO.
— For people in a family, household, dating, or cohabitation relationship, Kentucky offers the Emergency Protective Order (EPO) and the longer-term Domestic Violence Order (DVO).
IPO.
— For victims of dating violence, stalking, or sexual assault outside a domestic relationship, Kentucky offers the Interpersonal Protective Order (IPO).
There is no filing fee. You describe what has happened and why you fear for your safety.
If the judge finds an immediate danger, an EPO can be entered ex parte—without the other party present—to protect you right away.
Both sides have the chance to be heard before a longer-term order is decided. Whether an order is granted depends on the facts and the judge.
If a DVO is granted, it can last up to three years and may be reissued or extended.
An order can direct the other person to stay away and have no contact with you; grant you temporary possession of the home; and address temporary custody, support, and possession of children—and even pets. These cases rarely stand alone; they frequently intersect with divorce and custody matters, which we coordinate so you are not telling your story twice.
An Indiana note. Indiana has its own protective order process under its Civil Protection Order Act. Because this firm is licensed in both Kentucky and Indiana, we can help a Kentuckiana family figure out which court applies before you spend time in the wrong one.
How We Handle It
When you reach out about safety, we treat it as urgent—because it is.
We don't make you wait days to be heard.
We explain the difference between an EPO, a DVO, and an IPO, which one fits, and what an order can and cannot do.
A protective order petition is a written account a judge reads under pressure of time. We help you put the facts in front of the court clearly and accurately.
You will know what to expect and where things stand. You should never have to wonder whether your case is moving.
If there are kids, we address custody, contact, and the home as part of protecting your family—not as an afterthought.
What Now
If you are safe enough to make a call, call us.
We will tell you what protection may be available, how fast it can move, and what the next step is. The first conversation is about your safety, not a sales pitch.