PROTECTIVE ORDERS

Court Mandated Restrictions To Keep Perpetrators Away From Survivors

Illinois allows people to ask the court for a “protective order”. It tells a perpetrator of domestic violence, sexual violence, or stalking to stay away from the survivor—as well as their home, school, workplace, and sometimes family. If the perpetrator violates a protective order, it may result in an arrest on criminal charges or the perpetrator can be held in contempt of court.

You can learn more about the different types of protective orders below. CAASE can assist in getting protective orders for survivors of sexual assault or abuse, sexual stalking, and in some domestic violence cases that involve sexual harm. We provide free legal services for survivors with any background or identity who were harmed in Cook County, IL, and are aged 13+.

Contact Us To Learn More

To learn more about our free legal services or schedule a consultation, please call our legal intake line at 773-244-2230, ext. 205 or email legal@caase.org. We’re available 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday – Friday. All personal information will be kept confidential. Please allow up to 72 hours for responses.

Our Legal Staff speaks Spanish, Portuguese, Urdu, Gujarati, and Hindi. Translation services are also available in all languages.

Protective Orders in Illinois

There are three different types of protective orders in Illinois:

Civil No Contact Orders for survivors of sexual assault or abuse
Orders of Protection for survivors of domestic violence
Stalking No Contact Orders for survivors of stalking

Protective orders for survivors of sexual assault or abuse

If you are a survivor of sexual assault or sexual abuse, you can seek a protective order known as a Civil No Contact Order (CNCO) against your perpetrator through the Illinois Civil No Contact Act. A CNCO prohibits the perpetrator from contacting the survivor and orders them to stay away from their home, school, and workplace.

You can seek a CNCO regardless of whether or not you reported your sexual assault to law enforcement and whether or not you had a prior relationship with the perpetrator.

CAASE can help you file for a CNCO and answer your questions about the process. Contact us to learn more and set up a consultation.

Protective orders for survivors of domestic violence

If you have experienced domestic violence, you can seek an Order of Protection (OP) against your abuser through the Illinois Domestic Violence Act. An OP prohibits the perpetrator from contacting the survivor and orders them to stay away from their home, school, and workplace, and sometimes family members. It also provides other remedies for survivors, including temporary child custody and property restrictions.

CAASE does not handle cases involving family law such as divorce or parentage, but we can assist with OPs for certain domestic violence cases that involved sexual assault or abuse. We can also refer you to other agencies if you need help with a family law matter.

Protective orders for stalking

If you are a stalking survivor, you can apply for a Stalking No Contact Order (SNCO) against your stalker. This prohibits the stalker from contacting you and orders them to stay away from you, your home, school, or place of work.