Information Regarding The Filing of an Adult / Child Order of Protection ( Adult and Child(ren) forms located at the bottom of this page.)
Thank you for visiting the Greene County Circuit Clerk’s Office website. Here you will find information to file an order of protection for an adult and/or child(ren). For your convenience the petitions/paperwork are attached to this page and may be completed 24 hours a day.
How to use the forms:
You must save each form before you begin entering information in the form fields. Right click the link for a form and save it to your computer before you begin entering information in the form fields. If you are downloading the form from a public computer, be sure to save the form to a personal device, such as a thumb drive.
For fillable PDF documents, you must use Acrobat Reader DC (or Adobe Acrobat DC) to ensure the forms work as intended. If you do not have Acrobat Reader DC, a free edition can be downloaded from the Adobe website. https://get.adobe.com/reader/
If you have technical difficulties completing the forms online, you may print all of the blank forms and fill them out by hand to file with the court. Please check with your local court for further instructions.
You are responsible for the completeness and accuracy of any information submitted on the forms. Please double-check the information you enter!
Use the Tab key to move from field to field within a form. Hover the cursor over a fillable field to view help text associated with a field. Check boxes can be selected by pressing the space bar or clicking the box. To remove a check mark, press the space bar or click the check box again. Questions requiring only one check box be selected cannot be unselected.
A COMPLETE GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING AN ORDER OF PROTECTION:
The links below contain answers to questions and provide additional resources.
• Order of Protection Information for Both Parties: Printed Resource
Click here> Adult or go to https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=69655
Click here> Child(ren) or go to https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=69656
• Domestic Violence and the Law: Click here> Printed Resource or go to https://missourilawyershelp.org/legal-topics/#domestic
• The Victim Center: Click here> After-Hours/Weekend/Holiday Assistance with Ex Partes and Safety Planning free- of- charge
call (417) 864-7233 or go to https://www.thevictimcenter.org/services/crisis-intervention/
• Greene County Family Justice Center: Click here> Multi-Agency Resource Center For Survivors (417) 874-2600
or go to https://greenecountyfamilyjusticecenter.org/
• Additional Information for Filing in Greene County & Specific to Petitioner:
(1) Certain questions on the petition form require a narrative response, however the space for the response is often limited to a certain number of characters. If your response exceeds the space allotted, you may then continue your response on the page titled, “Additional Information Form.” The Additional Information Form is page 8 of the adult petition and is page 16 of the child petition. If using this form please reference the question number associated with your continued response (i.e. Question #12 continue text).
(2) As the petitioner who is filing the order of protection, your signature is required at the bottom of page 2 and 9 of the adult petition and pages 2 and 17 of the child petition. If you do not have a signature established, you may type your signature in these fields by applying the following format: /s/ your name
(3) Prior to submission, double check your entries and ensure that everything is correct and that no fields were skipped or left blank. All fill-able fields are for the Petitioner to complete. Judges and court personnel do not have access to documents and records of outside agencies, i.e. Police reports, Division of Child Services, etc. **Failure to fully complete the petition may result in the denial of an order for protection**
(4) Once you have confirmed that everything appears as it should, please save and submit your petition to the following email address: 31DETexpartes@courts.mo.gov
THREE POSSIBLE DECISIONS AFTER SUBMISSION:
Your petition will be sent to one of our Judges for review and decision. The Judge will render one of the following decisions, and you will receive notification by email:
(1) Temporary order of protection Granted: which means the order is immediately effective. You will be given a court date, in which you need to appear. Our offices will send a copy to law enforcement. Once the respondent is located, a copy will be served.
(2) Temporary Order Denied and Set: meaning you will not have immediate protection as the Judge has not granted a temporary order. Instead the Judge has requested an appearance by you and the respondent to appear before the court and an order may or may not be entered at that time. In the interim your order is pending the hearing.
(3) Dismissal; no further court action.
AFTER THE DECISION:
• In Reference to Decision #1 above:
A temporary order of protection has been granted, it’s recommended that you print and keep two copies of the order with you at all times. This will assist the officers with service, if needed. If you are unable to print, copies can be obtained at the Circuit Clerk’s Office during regular business hours listed below.
• In Reference to Decision #2 above:
No temporary order has been granted. The petitioner and respondent are both given the same court date and time. Both parties will need to appear for the scheduled hearing before the Judge.
• Applies to Decisions #1 & #2 above:
Failure to appear at your given court date may result in an immediate dismissal or denial of a full order of protection being put in place. All court hearings are held at the Judicial Courts Facility located at 1010 N. Boonville in Springfield, MO 65802.
Click here for >ADULT & here for >CHILD PETITIONS FOR AN EX PARTE