Before Going to Court

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IF YOU NEED PROTECTION RIGHT NOW, you should call 911, or

• a local law enforcement agency, or
• a domestic violence shelter, or
• the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-799-SAFE.

Before you go to court to start a Domestic Violence Restraining Order case, it would be good to learn what you can about the courts and your situation.

This section will help you to understand:

• Types of Restraining Orders
• How Restraining Orders Work
• Reasonable Proof will be Needed
• Asking for Help
• More Info in 5 Languages

Once you know the basics, you can learn what to do:

• If you are the person asking for protection
• If you are the person being accused of abuse
• After a legal proceeding

At any time, you can:

• Read answers for Frequently Asked Questions about domestic violence.
• Read some general information about How Courts Work, click here.
• Watch some videos with general information about how California's court system works, click here.
• Watch a short video called "Before You Go to Court", click here.

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