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Legal Information: Kentucky

Restraining Orders

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Laws current as of December 10, 2025

Step 5 – DVO court hearing

You must go the court hearing for the DVO. If you miss court, your emergency protective order (EPO) will expire, and you may not be able to get a domestic violence order (DVO). If the abuser does not show up for the hearing, the judge will either:

  • grant you a DVO; or
  • schedule a new hearing date and extend your EPO until then.

At the hearing, it can help to have a lawyer to make sure your rights are protected. This is especially true if the abuser has a lawyer. If you go to the hearing and the abuser has a lawyer, you can ask for a “continuance.” This means postponing the case so that you can get a lawyer, too. Go to our Kentucky Finding a Lawyer page for legal referrals. You can also represent yourself. See our At the Hearing page in our Preparing for Court -By Yourself section for tips on how to represent yourself in a protective order hearing.

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