If you are requesting an Order of Protection through Madison County Family Court and need help filling out the petition, a probation officer at the Madison County Probation Department will assist you in completing the necessary paperwork. An officer is available for this purpose Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
After the paperwork is completed, it is forwarded to the Family Court. In most instances, the petition will then be heard by a judge of the Family Court. Please be aware that if you are requesting an Order of Protection on an emergency basis, you will be expected to wait to be seen by the judge. Consequently, you should allow several hours for this process to be completed. Additionally, only petitions through the Family Court can be sought through the probation department.
See Intake Services for a list of individuals permitted to initiate a family offense proceeding. In all other situations, an Order of Protection must be sought through the local criminal court.