Instructions for Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.980(t), Petition for Injunction for Protection Against Stalking (11/15) INSTRUCTIONS FOR FLORIDA SUPREME COURT APPROVED FAMILY LAW FORM 12.980(t) PETITION FOR INJUNCTION FOR PROTECTION AGAINST STALKING (11/15) When should this form be used? If you are a victim of stalking, you can use this form to ask the court for a protective order prohibiting stalking. Stalking means the repeated following, harassment, or cyberstalking of one person by another. Cyberstalk means to engage in a course of conduct to communicate, or to cause to be communicated, words, images, or language by or through the use of electronic mail or electronic communication, directed at a specific person, causing substantial emotional distress to that person and serving no legitimate purpose. 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. If you are under the age of eighteen and have never been married or had the disabilities of nonage removed by a court, and are living at home, one of your parents or your legal guardian must sign this petition on your behalf. The parent or legal guardian of any minor child who is living at home may seek an injunction for protection against stalking on behalf of the minor child. 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 other parent of your child(ren), whether or not you have ever been married or ever lived together, you may, instead, choose to use the Petition for Injunction for Protection Against Domestic Violence, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.980(a), rather than this form. This form should be typed or printed in black ink. You should complete this form (giving as much detail as possible) and sign it the presence of a notary or in front of the clerk of the circuit court in one of the following: the circuit where you currently or temporarily reside; the circuit where the respondent resides; or the circuit where the stalking occurred. The clerk will take your completed petition to a judge. You should keep a copy for your records. If have any questions or need assistance completing this form, the clerk or family law intake staff will help you. There is no filing fee for a petition for protection against stalking. What should I do if the judge grants my petition? If the facts contained in your petition convince the judge that stalking or cyberstalking exists, the judge will sign a Temporary Injunction for Protection Against Stalking, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.980(u). A temporary injunction is issued without notice to the respondent. The clerk will give your petition, the temporary injunction, and any other papers filed with your petition to the sheriff or other law enforcement officer for personal service on the respondent. The temporary injunction will take American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkFlow.com Instructions for Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.980(t), Petition for Injunction for Protection Against Stalking (11/15) effect immediately after the respondent is served with a copy of it. It lasts until a hearing can be held or for a period of 15 days, whichever comes first. The court may extend the temporary injunction beyond 15 days for a good reason, which may include failure to obtain service on the respondent. The temporary injunction is issued ex parte. This means that the judge has considered only the information presented by one side--YOU. Section I of the temporary injunction gives a date that you should appear in court for a hearing. You will be expected to testify about the facts in your petition. The respondent will be given the opportunity to testify at this hearing also. At the hearing, the judge will decide whether to issue a Final Judgment of Injunction for Protection Against Stalking (After Notice), Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.980(v), which will remain in effect for a specific time period or until modified or dissolved by the court. If either you or the respondent do not appear at the hearing, the temporary injunction may be continued in force, extended, or dismissed, and/or additional orders may be granted, including entry of a permanent injunction and the imposition of court costs. You and the respondent will be bound by the terms of any injunction or order issued at the final hearing. IF EITHER YOU OR THE RESPONDENT DO NOT APPEAR AT THE FINAL HEARING, YOU WILL BOTH BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF ANY INJUNCTION OR ORDER ISSUED IN THIS MATTER. If the judge signs a temporary or final injunction, the clerk will provide you with the necessary copies. Make sure that you keep one certified copy of the injunction with you at all times! What can I do if the judge denies my petition or does not issue a Temporary Injunction? If your petition is denied, you may amend your petition by filing a Supplemental Affidavit in Support of Petition for Injunction for Protection, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.980(g). If the only ground for not granting an ex parte temporary injunction is no appearance of immediate and present danger of stalking, the court shall set a full hearing on your petition for injunction at the earliest possible time. The respondent will be notified by personal service of your petition and the hearing. You must attend the hearing, present facts, and bring evidence that supports your petition; failure to attend the hearing may result in dismissal of your petition. Where can I look for more information? Before proceeding, you should read General Information for Self-Represented Litigants found at the beginning of these forms. The words that are in bold underline are defined in that section. The clerk of the circuit court or family law intake staff will help you complete any necessary forms. For further information, see Section 784.0485, Florida Statutes, and Rule 12.610, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure. American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkFlow.com Instructions for Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.980(t), Petition for Injunction for Protection Against Stalking (11/15) IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING E-FILING The Florida Rules of Judicial Administration now require that all petitions, pleadings, and documents be filed electronically except in certain circumstances. Self-represented litigants may file petitions or other pleadings or documents electronically; however, they are not required to do so. If you choose to file your pleadings or other documents electronically, you must do so in accordance with Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.525, and you must follow the procedures of the judicial circuit in which you file. The rules and procedures should be carefully read and followed. IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING E-SERVICE ELECTION After the initial service of process of the petition or supplemental petition by the Sheriff or certified process server, the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration now require that all documents required or permitted to be served on the other party must be served by electronic mail (e-mail) except in certain circumstances. You must strictly comply with the format requirements set forth in the Rules of Judicial Administration. If you elect to participate in electronic service, which means serving or receiving pleadings by electronic mail (e-mail), or through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, you must review Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.516. You may find this rule at www.flcourts.org through the link to the Rules of Judicial Administration provided under either Family Law Forms: Getting Started, or Rules of Court in the A-Z Topical Index. SELF-REPRESENTED LITIGANTS MAY SERVE DOCUMENTS BY E-MAIL; HOWEVER, THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED TO DO SO. If a self-represented litigant elects to serve and receive documents by e-mail, the procedures must always be followed once the initial election is made. To serve and receive documents by e-mail, you