Restraining Orders

You may be eligible for a stalking protection order if you are the victim of stalking or cyberstalking, as defined by law. Also, you can file on behalf of a minor child if you are the child’s:

• parent;
• legal guardian; or
• custodian.¹

If you are under the age of 18, see Can I file for a stalking protection order if I am a minor? 

You may also file on behalf of a “vulnerable adult” who is the victim of stalking if you are what the laws considers to be an “interested person.”¹ You may also file on behalf of any other adult if you can demonstrate that:

1. You are interested in the adult’s well-being;
2. The court’s intervention is necessary; and
3. The adult cannot file the petition because of age, disability, health, or inaccessibility.¹

Note: The judge cannot deny your petition for a protection order because any of the following are true:

• you do not have proof of the stalker’s intentions behind their actions;
• you or the stalker are under 18 years of age, unless the law limits what kind of remedy you can get based on your age;
• you did not report the stalking to law enforcement;
• there is a no-contact or restraining order limiting the stalker’s contact with you issued in a criminal or domestic relations case;
• the remedies you ask for are available in a different type of case, including a different type of protection order;
• a criminal case is pending against the stalker;
• time has passed since the last incident that is causing you to file the petition; or
• the stalker no longer lives near you.²

These things should not matter to the judge when deciding whether or not to grant you a stalking protection order.

¹ R.C.W. § 7.105.100(1)(c)
² R.C.W. § 7.105.225(2), (4)