Orders of Protection

As stated above, you must be a family or a household member. Illinois defines family or household member as:

• Spouses, former spouses, parents, children, stepchildren and anyone else related by blood or a current or past marriage
• People who currently share or previously shared a common dwelling
• People who actually or allegedly have a child in common or share a blood relationship through a child
• People who are dating or who have dated or have been engaged
• People with disabilities and their caregivers and personal assistants

When determining whether the Petitioner and Respondent have a dating or engagement relationship to make the Petitioner eligible for an Order of Protection, the Court will look at the following factors:

• How the Petitioner and Respondent met
• How many times the Petitioner and Respondent went out together
• Whether either the Petitioner or the Respondent considered the outing a date
• Whether either party held out to the public that the Petitioner and Respondent were dating

Minor children of the Petitioner and anyone who lives with the Petitioner can be included as additional "protected parties" in the Order of Protection. However, always consult with an attorney, such as Attorney Faye M. Lyon, for specifics regarding your situation.

For a No-Stalking Order, you do not need to be a family member or household member, but you must be able to prove two incidents of stalking.