Protecting Yourself With a PPO: A Michigan Guide for Domestic Violence Awareness Month

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233, or text START to 88788.

A Personal Protection Order (PPO) is a court order that legally prohibits someone from contacting, threatening, following, or harming you. In Michigan, you can ask a judge for a PPO without paying a filing fee and without an attorney, and in urgent situations a judge can issue one the same day you ask.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. If you have been thinking about a PPO, or you are supporting someone who is, here is what the process looks like.

What kinds of PPOs are available in Michigan?

Michigan offers three types:

• Domestic relationship PPO: For someone you are married to or were married to, share a child with, have dated, or have lived with.

• Non-domestic (stalking) PPO: For someone who has stalked you, regardless of your relationship.

• Sexual assault PPO: For someone who has sexually assaulted you, regardless of your relationship.

For most women leaving an abusive partner or spouse, the domestic relationship PPO is the right fit.

What can a PPO actually do?

A judge can order the other person to stop a wide range of behavior, including:

• Contacting you by phone, text, email, or social media

• Coming to your home, workplace, or school

• Following you or showing up where you are

• Threatening you or damaging your property

• Buying or possessing a firearm

Once the order is served, it is entered into Michigan's law enforcement database. Police anywhere in the state can see it and enforce it, and it is recognized in every other state as well.

How do I file for a PPO?

You file a petition with the circuit court in the county where you live. The petition asks you to describe what happened, so be as specific as you can: dates, messages, threats, injuries, and anything else that shows why you need protection. Screenshots, photos, and police reports help.

You can ask for an ex parte PPO, which means the judge reviews your petition without the other person being notified first. Michigan law requires the judge to decide on an ex parte request within 24 hours of filing. If the judge believes you face immediate harm, the order can be granted right away.

If the judge does not grant an ex parte order, you can still request a hearing where both sides can be heard.

What happens after the PPO is granted?

The PPO must be served on the other person before it can be enforced. Once served, they have a limited window to ask the court to change or end it. If they do, a hearing is scheduled and you will have the chance to explain why the order should stay in place.

PPOs last for a set period chosen by the judge. If you still need protection as the expiration date approaches, you can ask the court to extend it.

What happens if they violate the PPO?

A PPO violation can result in jail time and fines. Report every violation, even ones that seem minor. A pattern of violations matters.

How does a PPO affect custody and divorce?

A PPO does not decide custody or parenting time on its own. Those decisions are made in family court. But domestic violence is one of the factors Michigan courts must weigh when deciding what is in a child's best interests, and a PPO creates a clear record of what you have experienced.

If you share children with the person you need protection from, the details matter: how exchanges happen, whether parenting time should be supervised, and how your PPO and any custody order work together. This is where legal guidance makes a real difference.

You do not have to do this alone

Leaving an unsafe relationship takes courage, and it often takes planning. A PPO is one tool. A safety plan, support from people you trust, and an attorney who understands both protection orders and family law can help you move forward safely.

If you are considering a PPO, a divorce, or a custody case involving domestic violence, DAWN is here to help. Our attorneys represent women exclusively.

Schedule a confidential consultation today.