In the Complaint for Relief from Abuse, you are the “plaintiff.” The “defendant” is the person who hurt you or the person you are afraid of. Use the form to explain what your relationship is to the defendant and what you are asking for in the case.

Note: The defendant will get a copy of this document if the judge gives you a temporary order or if the case goes to a hearing.

There are two versions of the Complaint form:

• Is the order for you, or both you and your children? Use the Complaint for Relief from Abuse form.
• Is the order only for a child or children? Use the Complaint for Relief from Abuse On Behalf of a Child form.

On the Complaint, there are many boxes you can choose to check about your relationship to the defendant and the kinds of help you are asking for. Check all that apply to your situation.

Do you believe there is a danger of further abuse to yourself and/or your children? If you do, it’s especially important to tell the court in the “Facts” section of the Complaint. If this box is not checked, the court may decide you are not eligible for an RFA.

In the “Requests for Relief” section, it is important to check the box asking for emergency relief. If this box is not checked, the court may not give you a temporary order while you wait for the final hearing.

In the Affidavit, you tell the court about what happened and why you need the court’s help to deal with the abuse. There are two versions of the Affidavit form:

• Is the order for you, or both you and your children? Use the Affidavit in Support of Relief from Abuse Complaint.
• Is the order only for a child or children? Use the Affidavit in Support of Relief from Abuse Complaint for Child.

There are some very important sections on the Affidavit form. First, you need to list and describe the most recent incident of abuse, as well as other past incidents. Do your best to give dates and details about the following:

• Did your abuser injure you? If they did, how? It’s okay if you never went to the doctor, but if you did go, you should say so on the form.
• Did your abuser threaten or scare you or your children?
• Did they keep you from leaving a room?
• Did they use a weapon to hurt or threaten you?
• Did they hurt your pets or damage your property?
• Were the police called?
• Has your abuser stalked or followed you?
• Did your children witness the abuse? And has it changed your children’s behavior in any way?

Next, the form asks you to describe the most serious incident of abuse, whether it happened a long time ago or more recently. Be sure to give as much detail to this incident as you did the others.

Weapons

The form also asks if your abuser has guns or other weapons. List them and their locations. Guns and weapons create a dangerous situation during the RFA process. If you list them on the affidavit, the court can order law enforcement to collect them to help keep you safe.

The Affidavit form usually needs to be signed in front of a notary, so do not sign until you are with a notary. There are exceptions, such as at night, on a holiday or weekend, or if you can't get to a courthouse.

The clerk at the courthouse is a notary. During the COVID-19 pandemic, you may be able to use a Supplemental Affirmation form instead of signing the Affidavit in person with a notary.

Note: The defendant will get a copy of this document if the judge gives you a temporary order or if the case goes to a hearing.

The Confidential Notification form tells the court how to reach you with their decision. If it is not safe for you to get paperwork or phone calls about this case at home, you can use another address or phone number. You can talk with an advocate about how to get a safer mailing address. The defendant should not get a copy of this document.

The Protection Order Service Information form tells law enforcement how to find the defendant and “serve” them with (give them) paperwork. The defendant should not get a copy of this document.