Order of Protection

There are 3 types of Orders of Protections (EOPs) in Illinois: Emergency, Plenary, and Intertim.

Emergency Order of Protection

An Emergency Order of Protection (EOP) is a court order that legally protects the petitioner (the person seeking protection) from harm by the respondent (the recipient of the order). EOPs take effect immediately when a judge approves it.

The law does not require the respondent to know about the hearing. This is known as an “ex parte” hearing, and is meant to protect the petitioner because of increased risk. 

Emergency Orders only last for 14-21 days. When an EOP is issued, a hearing date is set for a Plenary Order. 

Plenary Order of Protection

After a hearing with both the petitioner and the respondent, a Plenary Order is issued by a judge. The petitioner must be present in court to get the order. The person accused of the abuse will be notified about the hearing, but they may choose not to appear. If this happens and the abuser does not come to court, the Plenary Order will be granted. A Plenary Order lasts for up to 2 years.

Interim Order of Protection

An Interim Order protects the petitioner during the period between the time that the respondent has been served with notice of the proceedings and the final hearing. The judge may grant a petitioner an Interim Order after a respondent has been served, or if attempts have been made to serve them. This order may last up to 30 days.

If you have questions about or need helping gaining an Order of Protection, contact me today!