Domestic Violence

questions & answers

Question: Who can serve a protective order in Arizona?

Answer:

The following is provided for general information only. To find out how the law applies to a specific situation, contact an attorney directly.

"Service" or "served" means that the defendant is provided with a copy of the petition that you filled out along with the Order of Protection or Injunction Against Harassment. Once an Order of Protection or Injunction Against Harassment is issued by the judge, the person seeking protection (Petitioner) needs to request that it be served on the defendant. Legal papers must be served by certain people in a particular way according to court rules (Rules 4.1 and 4.2 of the Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure). You may not serve the papers yourself. A private process server or a law enforcement agency can perform the service. NOTE: Remember, the order or injunction is not effective until it is served on the defendant.

The AZLawHelp/LawForSeniors article "THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PROTECTIVE ORDERS" thoroghly explains Protective Orders including "service of a protective order."