Note: There are different types of interpersonal violence orders. A Civil No Contact Order's purpose is to provide protection when there is no/a limited relationship between the survivor and the abuser. The abuser is not typically a family member, current or ex-spouse, or current or ex-partner. If they are, use the Order of Protection form instead. 

You will need to fill out these forms to ask for a Civil No Contact Order:

• Petition for Civil No Contact Order: gives the court information that is needed to decide if you can get a Civil No Contact Order.
• Civil No Contact Order: There are two kinds of Orders. You can ask for one or both.
  • An Emergency Civil No Contact Order gives protection up to three weeks. The court can grant this without the abuser knowing about your petition.
  • A Plenary Civil No Contact Order gives protection up to two years. The court can grant this after the abuser knows about your petition.
• Summons: gives the sheriff information to deliver the petition and Civil No Contact Order, if granted, to the abuser.

Note that in certain cases you can request that a Civil No Contact Order become permanent. You can do this when the abuser is convicted of sexual assault or sexual abuse in a criminal trial.

Use the Civil No Contact Order program to fill out your forms. After they are complete, sign them and make three extra copies of each form.

Your petition tells the judge what you are asking for and why. You must write about the assault you experienced. If this is too painful, you can seek a court advocate to help you. If you are under 18, you can also ask any family member or someone living in your household to submit the petition on your behalf. The judge will use the information you give in your petition to decide whether to give you the Order.

Describe the assault with details like:

• What the abuser did and said;
• The dates and time of days of the abuse or assault. If you do not remember, then give an estimate;
• Where the abuse or assault happened;
• Who saw or heard the abuse or assault. Be sure to mention if your children were there;
• How you were hurt or injured by the abuse or assault;
• If the police were called;
• How the abuse or assault made you feel; and
• If there was anything that stopped you from coming to court sooner.

Include details about what has happened most recently that made you feel like you needed protection.

If you feel that giving your home address will put you or any people you live with at a risk of abuse, do not put your address on the court papers. You do have to put an address where you can get mail in case the abuser files any court papers. You can use a P.O. Box, work address, or the address of a family member or friend.

Now that you have filled out your forms, you need to file them with the clerk. You may file in person or online.

E-filing: Most counties require you to file your forms and documents electronically. See E-Filing Basics for more information.

Paper filing: If your county allows paper filing, or you have an E-filing Exemption Certificate, take your completed forms to the circuit court clerk's office in the courthouse. The clerk will stamp your forms. This stamp is important. It is proof that you filed the form with the court. They will give you a copy for your records.

• Do this at the courthouse in the county where the dispute happened or where the abuser lives.

When a petition for a Civil No Contact Order is filed, it is not accessible to the public. It only becomes public after it has been served to the person you filed against. This way, you can file for a Civil No Contact Order without worrying about retaliation from the person you are filing against. Similarly, when a Civil No Contact Order is granted, it is not made public until it has been served to the person against who the Civil No Contact Order applies.

Only the following people will know if you have filed for a Civil No Contact Order:

• The court,
• Law enforcement,
• The petitioner,
• The victim advocate,
• The counsel of record for either party, and
• The State's Attorney for the county you filed in.

Sensitive case types are not required to e-file their documents. Details are available in E-filing Exemption article. If you are asking for an Emergency Civil No Contact Order, you will get a hearing right away without the presence of the respondent. You should be prepared to speak the judge the same day that you bring your forms to court.

If the judge thinks your case is an emergency, they will give you an emergency order. This kind of order will not last more than three weeks. When the judge grants an Emergency Civil No Contact Order, they will also set a date for a court hearing for a Plenary Order that can last up to two years.

Make a few copies of the Emergency Civil No Contact Order and always keep a copy of it with you.

The Sheriff will serve the petition on the abuser, along with the Emergency Civil No Contact Order, if one was granted. You may need to take a copy of the papers to the Sheriff's office. The circuit clerk can tell you what to do next. The abuser must obey the order once they receive it from the Sheriff. The Sheriff does not charge a fee for delivering a copy of your court papers to the other party.

If you already received an emergency order, it will say when you must go to court. If you do not show up to the hearing, the judge may cancel the petition, and you will have to start over. The judge may not be as willing to grant you a plenary (long-term) order if you miss your first court date.

Once the Respondent is served, they have an obligation to appear in Court. If they fail to appear, you may request a plenary Civil No Contact order “by default”. If they do appear, the Court will give them the option to either

• agree to the Plenary Civil No Contact Order or
• have a hearing on the allegations in your Petition.

If the judge reschedules the hearing, the judge will usually extend your emergency order. If the judge holds the hearing, the judge will decide whether to grant the order and for how long.

At the final hearing, you will have to testify or answer questions about what happened before the judge grants a plenary order, which can last up to two years. Examples of evidence are other witnesses, text messages, voicemails, medical records from an emergency room visit, or pictures showing abuse, like holes in a wall or bruises. If the abuser comes to the hearing, they will have a chance to tell their side of the story. They will also be allowed to “cross-examine” you, or ask you direct questions about your testimony. You can bring a lawyer if you wish. 

You should read the order before you leave the courthouse. If something is wrong or missing, ask the clerk to correct the order before you leave. Then, make copies of the order and always keep one with you. You should also give a copy of the order to anyone who is named in and protected by the order.

The court will tell the Sheriff's department about the order, which will be posted so all law enforcement agencies in Illinois know that it must be given to your abuser. The order can only be enforced after your abuser has been notified that there is an order.

You can also leave copies of the order at the following places:

• Your workplace
• At your home
• At your children's school or daycare
• In your car
• With a neighbor
• At work

If your abuser violates the order, call the police immediately and make a police report. If you do not have a copy of the order with you, an officer can check in their computer system to see if there is an order. But it is best to keep a copy of the order with you at all times.

An abuser who disobeys a Civil No Contact Order can be arrested and charged with a crime.