Restraining Orders / Injunctions


For Injunction questions, please call directly: 352-341-6417

*If an injunction is needed after business hours, weekends or holidays, call 911.


 If you are a victim of any act of domestic violence or have reasonable cause to believe that you are in imminent danger of becoming a victim of domestic violence, you can ask the Court for a protective order prohibiting domestic violence. Domestic violence includes assault, aggravated assault, battery, aggravated battery, sexual assault, sexual battery, stalking, aggravated stalking, kidnapping, false imprisonment, or any other criminal offense resulting in physical injury or death to petitioner, by any of the petitioner's family or household members.


Because you are making a request to the Court, you are called the petitioner. The person whom you are asking the Court to protect you from is called the respondent.


For injunctions regarding the exploitation of vulnerable adults please see: https://www.citrusclerk.org/226/Guardianship

Benefits of an Injunction

What will an Injunction for Protection (also known as a restraining order) do for you? It will legally prevent an alleged abuser (the respondent) from committing any further acts of violence to you or from threatening you, or stalking you. Depending on the situation, an injunction may:

  • Restrain the respondent from going to, in or within 500 feet of petitioner's residence, place of employment, place of school, or places you and your family frequent
  • Provide no contact between the parties, in any manner
  • Require the respondent to attend counseling, treatment or a batterer's intervention program
  • Require the respondent not to possess a firearm or to surrender any firearms to law enforcement

How Long Will the Process Take?

The court will review your petition and you will receive an answer that day (granting, denying, and/or setting your case for hearing).

Additional Resources

Citrus County Abuse Shelter Association (CASA) 352-344-8111 or 800-500-1119
Fax: 352-344-0548
Website

Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence (FCADV)
Website

Florida Domestic Violence Hotline

The Florida Domestic Violence Hotline is a free, 24-hour crisis intervention and resource line for domestic violence survivors, friends and family of survivors and community partners. Advocates connect callers with their local certified center, provide immediate crisis support, safety plan with survivors, and provide information about domestic violence to friends and family of survivors of domestic violence. Contact them at at 800-500-1119.

Domestic Violence Laws

Domestic violence laws only apply to your situation if the respondent is your spouse, former spouse, related to you by blood or marriage, living with you now, or has lived with you in the past (if you are or were living as a family), or the parent of your child or children, whether or not you have ever been married or ever lived together. With the exception of persons who have a child in common, the family or household members must be currently residing together or have resided together in the past, in the same single dwelling unit

Serena's Law

Effective July 1, 2021, Serena's Law amended F.S. 28.2221 which requires each county recorder or clerk of the court to post on its publicly available website an entry of final judgment for an injunction for the protection of a minor which includes the identity of each respondent against whom the injunction is entered, unless the respondent is a minor. Information  not made available on the website by July 1, 2021, must be made available to the general public on the website if the minor, or the minor's representative, identifies the information and requests it be made publicly available as outlined below:

PUBLIC NOTICE OF THE RIGHT OF ANY AFFECTED PARTY TO REQUEST THE ADDITION OF INFORMATION TO A PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INTERNET WEBSITE

Any affected person has a right to request that a county recorder or clerk of the court add information to a publicly available Internet website if that information involves the identity of a respondent against whom a final judgment for an injunction for the protection of a minor under s. 741.30, s. 784.046, or s. 784.0485 is entered, unless the respondent is a minor. The request must be in writing and contain the case number. To make a request contact the clerk’s office by mail or in person at 110 N. Apopka Ave. Inverness, FL 34450 or submit your request online.

Fees

There is no filing fee. However, there may be a sheriff’s service fee if the respondent lives outside of the State of Florida. The petitioner should verify the service fee with the other state prior to filing the case. The petitioner must provide a check or money order made payable in the amount that was provided by the other state at the time of filing.

Documents Needed

All required documents are contained in the individual packets which are available on the Clerk’s website and inside the Clerk’s office. 

Injunction Case Assignment

Please note, the judge reflected on an injunction case is Judge Helm; however if Judge Helm is unavailable at the time of filing, the duty judge will review the petition at the time of filing. 

Injunction Intake Services Provided Only at the Clerk’s Main Office in the Citrus County Courthouse Located at 110 N Apopka Avenue, Inverness.

** If an injunction is needed after business hours, weekends or holidays please call 911.**

Request assistance as early in the day as possible, preferably before 3pm, to allow sufficient time to complete paperwork and for the Court to review your paperwork.