Where to Find Help

UPDATED October 22, 2008

In Massachusetts, during regular business hours, you can get a 209A protective order by going to the District Court nearest to where you live or to the Probate and Family Court in the county in which you live. (You may also go to the Superior Court in the county in which you live, or to the Boston Municipal Court if you live in Boston, but most 209A protective orders are taken out of the District Courts or Probate and Family Courts.) Find the civil court clerk and ask for the forms for a 209A protective order.

At the courthouse, the clerk will provide you with the forms that you need to file. If you need assistance filling out the form, ask the clerk for help. You will also find a list of the forms you will need on our Download Court Forms page. You may also get help with the court system through one of the domestic violence organizations listed on our MA State and Local Programs page.

If you need a 209A protective order at night, on the weekend, or on a holiday, call the police. They will help you get a 209A protective order from a judge on call through the "Emergency Judicial Response System." This order is good until the court is open on the next business day.

Listed below, by county, are telephone numbers and addresses for the Massachusetts District Courts. For more information on the Massachusetts Court system, go to: www.akedge.com/courts.htm.

Orange

Orleans

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