Family Protection Center

The Family Protection Center (FPC) serves as a secure and supportive environment where petitioners receive assistance in completing and filing civil protection orders.

The FPC team, consisting of six liaisons, a full-time staff attorney, and two staff members from Nationwide Children's Hospital's The Center for Family Safety and Healing, work collaboratively to provide survivors with critical resources and guidance.

How to request an ex-parte civil or juvenile protection order without legal representation

You will need to come to the Franklin County Courthouse Family Protection Center on the 6th floor at 373 South High Street Columbus, Ohio.

Process Overview:

Arrival & Intake:

Go to the 6th floor and follow signs to the Family Protection Center.
A Liaison Clerk will ask basic questions to ensure you have all the required information to create this legal filing:

1. Qualifying Domestic relationship-(put link here for definition)
2. Time to complete the entire Ex Parte process – a minimum  of 3 hours
3. Accurate information about the respondent:

• Legal name, date of birth, physical description

• A valid location where the sheriff can find the person to personally serve them with the legal paperwork

Completion of legal paperwork

The Liaisons will guide you through all necessary forms and initiate your case depending on the requirements of your individual filing.

Court Appearance

• You will be called into an emergency hearing where you can plead your case to the court. NOTE Witnesses and evidence will likely not be necessary at this initial hearing.
• If the Judge or Magistrate determine your case meets the legal requirements for a temporary order one will be granted along with a scheduled future hearing date.
• If a temporary order is not granted, then you will still have the opportunity to schedule a future hearing date where you may plead your case along with any evidence and witnesses you would like to present.

Juvenile Protection Ex Parte Orders additionally require the above information about the Juvenille respondent and their parent or guardian. This process will take a MINIMUM of 4 hours and your must begin the application process before 11:59 am.

Helpful links:

Family Protection Center Resource Guide(PDF, 2MB)

Civil Protection Order Guidelines(DOCX, 21KB)

Non-Fatal Strangulation Myths(PDF, 273KB)

Hope Cards

In 2024, the Court launched its Hope Card project. The Hope Card(PDF, 1MB) is a wallet-sized card issued to petitioners who have been granted a civil protection order. It contains all the necessary details for law enforcement to verify the validity of the protection order quickly. This initiative enhances the enforcement of protection orders and provides survivors with an added sense of security.

You can apply for a Hope Card online.

The Family Protection Center remains committed to supporting survivors, improving access to justice, and strengthening protective measures.