When safety is at risk — yours or your child's — the legal response needs to be immediate, specific, and grounded in what actually keeps people safe. We represent petitioners and respondents alike.
Washington recognizes several types of protection orders: domestic violence protection orders, anti-harassment orders, sexual assault protection orders, stalking protection orders, and extreme risk protection orders. Each has its own threshold, its own process, and its own available remedies.
Protection orders are urgent by design. Temporary orders can be issued quickly — sometimes the same day — with full hearings scheduled within two weeks. The remedies include no-contact provisions, residence exclusion, temporary custody, firearm surrender, and other measures tailored to the specific risk.
On the respondent side: being served with a protection order has immediate consequences for housing, custody, employment, and firearm rights. The hearing is usually within 14 days. What you do in the first 48 hours matters. Getting counsel involved early preserves options that disappear quickly.
We approach these cases with focus. For petitioners, we assemble the evidence that meets Washington’s legal thresholds — and we draft petitions with the specific remedies needed, not a generic template. For respondents, we assess the petition honestly and build the defense where a defense is warranted.
Protection order cases frequently interact with family law cases, criminal cases, and immigration matters. We coordinate across those fronts where needed.
“When client or child is protected, and they can be on that stable ground and feel safe through a protection order or a restraining order, that's a win.”
— Riley Moos, PartnerProtection order cases move fast. We prioritize intake quickly and file when the evidence and the circumstances justify immediate action.
Courts grant protection orders when the evidence meets the statutory threshold. We assemble the record — documented incidents, witness statements, medical records, communications — that supports the specific relief requested.
If you've been served, you have a short window. We assess the petition, build the defense, and minimize the consequences to custody, housing, and employment where the protection order claim is overstated.
Different circumstances call for different orders. Matching the type to the situation matters:
Between intimate partners, family members, or household members. Covers physical violence, threats, and other defined conduct. Most commonly used in family law contexts.
When the respondent is not in a qualifying relationship but has engaged in a course of conduct that alarms or harasses. Different threshold than DV orders.
Specific to sexual assault victims, regardless of the relationship between petitioner and respondent.
For patterns of conduct that constitute stalking under Washington law.
Allow firearm surrender when a person poses a significant risk to themselves or others. Distinct process and purpose.
Temporary orders can issue quickly on an ex parte basis. Full orders require a noticed hearing where both sides present evidence. Both have specific procedural requirements.
Before we tell you what we think, we hear what you're facing.
→You should understand the legal landscape before you make decisions in it.
→A real plan with real contingencies — not a template.
→Inside the courtroom, at the negotiation table, and everywhere in between.
→You'll never wonder what's happening in your case.
→The case ends. Your life continues. We plan for both.
→Temporary ex parte orders can be issued the same day you file, based on your sworn petition. A full hearing where both sides present evidence is typically scheduled within 14 days. If the full order is granted, it can last up to a year or longer depending on the circumstances.
The specific evidence depends on the type of order and the conduct alleged. Common evidence includes documented incidents, police reports, medical records, texts, emails, photos, witness statements, and your sworn declaration. We assess what's available and what will be most persuasive.
The temporary order is in effect immediately. A hearing will be scheduled within about 14 days where you can respond. Between now and then, strict compliance with the order is essential — any violation creates criminal exposure. Get counsel right away.
Yes. Protection orders frequently include temporary custody provisions, and the findings in a protection order case can affect related or future family law proceedings.
Many Washington protection orders require the respondent to surrender firearms for the duration of the order. Non-compliance carries significant legal consequences, including federal implications.
Yes, through formal motion. Modification or dismissal requires a change in circumstances and, typically, the agreement or at least the opportunity to be heard by the protected party.
What Clients Say
Strata Family Law represents protection order clients across Thurston County (Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Yelm, Rainier, Tenino), Pierce County (Tacoma, Puyallup, University Place, Lakewood, Gig Harbor, DuPont, Bonney Lake), and Lewis County (Chehalis, Centralia, Napavine, Morton). Whether your case is in Olympia, Tacoma, or anywhere across the greater South Sound, you get the same team, the same standard, and the same commitment.
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