If you obtain an Order of Protection against the abusive person, there are many things a judge can order to keep your children safe.

The judge can add children as protected persons on an Order of Protection. This means that they will be protected by the order.

If you have minor children in common with your abuser, the judge may give you temporary physical care and control of your children, temporary decision making responsibility, or both.

The court may also limit or deny the abuser's parenting time. The judge may do this if the abuser has done, or is likely to do, any of the following:

• Abuse or cause danger to the children during parenting time,
• Use parenting time as a chance to abuse or harass you and your family members,
• Hide the children or keep them from you, or
• Act in a way that is not in the best interests of the children.

The court may order the abuser to meet the children at a place other than your house or to have supervised visits. The judge will consider restrictions on parenting time only if you ask in your petition.

The judge can order that the abuser stay away from other locations while you and the children are there, and not have access to your child's records. Protecting their records can be very important if your abuser does not know where you live, since your address may be listed on these records. Upon your request, the Clerk's Office will notify the day-care facility, pre-school, or public or private school where your child is enrolled. 

The judge can also order the abuser to pay temporary child support.

Learn more about being a victim of domestic violence from this timeline.