{"id":19910,"date":"2025-09-29T08:11:21","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T12:11:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.collierclerk.com\/?p=19910"},"modified":"2026-01-20T12:59:29","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T17:59:29","slug":"domestic-violence-awareness-month-know-your-legal-protections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/app.collierclerk.com\/collierclerkcom\/domestic-violence-awareness-month-know-your-legal-protections\/","title":{"rendered":"Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Know Your Legal Protections"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body\"><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">Every October, communities across the nation recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time to support survivors, honor those affected, and raise awareness about the resources available to those experiencing abuse. The Collier County Clerk of the Circuit Court &amp; Comptroller plays a vital role in ensuring that victims of domestic violence have access to the protections they need, quickly, confidentially, and without cost.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body\"><strong><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">Filing for an Injunction for Protection<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body\"><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, stalking, dating violence, sexual violence, or repeat violence, you may be eligible to file for an injunction for protection, commonly referred to as a restraining order.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body\"><strong><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">An injunction can:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">Order the abuser to stay away from your home, work, or school<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">Prohibit contact by phone, email, or social media<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">Grant temporary custody of children<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">Provide other protections deemed necessary by the court<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body\"><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">These injunctions can be filed at no cost, and the Clerk\u2019s Office is here to help guide you through the process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body\"><strong><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">To file a petition for an injunction:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">Visit the Clerk\u2019s Domestic Violence Intake Office at the Collier County Courthouse. No appointment is necessary.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">Complete the required forms, which ask for details about the situation and the type of protection you&#8217;re seeking.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">A judge will review your petition the same day and may issue a temporary injunction.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">A court hearing will then be scheduled to determine whether a final injunction should be granted.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">Clerk staff are available to help with paperwork and explain next steps, but please note they cannot provide legal advice.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body\"><strong><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">If you are in immediate danger, call 911.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body\"><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">The Clerk\u2019s Office is committed to supporting victims of domestic violence with compassion and confidentiality. We provide:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">Private intake rooms to ensure discretion during filing<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">Staff trained to assist with protective injunction paperwork<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">Coordination with the Collier County Sheriff&#8217;s Office and local advocacy organizations<\/span><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body\"><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">In many cases, we work closely with the Shelter for Abused Women &amp; Children and other local agencies to provide survivors with access to safe housing, counseling, and legal support. Domestic violence affects individuals and families from all walks of life. Legal protection is one important step in a larger journey toward safety and healing. If you or someone you love is in danger, help is available.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body\"><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">For more information, visit <\/span><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-strikethrough-none text-decoration-underline\">Self-Help Center \u2013 Collier Clerk of the Circuit Court &amp; Comptroller<\/span><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-strikethrough-none text-decoration-none\"> or you can contact the Florida Domestic Violence Hotline at<\/span><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-strikethrough-none text-decoration-none\"> 1-800-500-1119.<\/span><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-strikethrough-none text-decoration-none\"> This confidential service is available 24\/7.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every October, communities across the nation recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time to support survivors, honor those affected, and &#8230; <\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more-container\"><a title=\"Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Know Your Legal Protections\" class=\"read-more button\" href=\"https:\/\/app.collierclerk.com\/collierclerkcom\/domestic-violence-awareness-month-know-your-legal-protections\/#more-19910\" aria-label=\"Read more about Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Know Your Legal Protections\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":19913,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19910","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-and-announcements","infinite-scroll-item","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-25","resize-featured-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/app.collierclerk.com\/collierclerkcom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19910","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/app.collierclerk.com\/collierclerkcom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/app.collierclerk.com\/collierclerkcom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/app.collierclerk.com\/collierclerkcom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/app.collierclerk.com\/collierclerkcom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19910"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/app.collierclerk.com\/collierclerkcom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19910\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19915,"href":"https:\/\/app.collierclerk.com\/collierclerkcom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19910\/revisions\/19915"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/app.collierclerk.com\/collierclerkcom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/app.collierclerk.com\/collierclerkcom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19910"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/app.collierclerk.com\/collierclerkcom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19910"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/app.collierclerk.com\/collierclerkcom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19910"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}