INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO FILL OUT A "COMPLAINT AND MOTION FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROTECTIVE ORDER" ON FORM NO. AOC-CV-303 YOU MUST FILL OUT THIS FORM BY YOURSELF. PRINT OR WRITE VERY CAREFULLY. THE PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE CANNOT HELP YOU FILL OUT THIS FORM OR TELL YOU WHAT TO SAY. THE LAW FORBIDS THEM FROM DOING SO. A sample copy is attached to these instructions. Look it over. Much of it is self-explanatory. Notice the letters which are hand written and circled on the sample copy like this. These letters identify parts of the form which need special attention. The letters go with the following letters in these instructions. After each letter you will be told what to do at the corresponding place on the form. A. Write your complete, current name in this space. The word "plaintiff" means a person who is asking the court for help. You are the plaintiff. You will see the word plaintiff in many other court papers in your case. It always means you. B. At the top of this space, write the name of the person who has hurt you or one of the children, or has tried to hurt one of you, or has threatened to hurt one of you, or has sexually abused one of the children. That person is the "defendant". You will see the word defendant in many other places on this form and in these instructions. It always means that person. In the rest of this space, write the defendant's current address. C. Fill in answers to #1, #2, and #3. D. Put an "X" in this box if the defendant hurt you, or tried to hurt you, or has threatened to hurt you. E. Use these lines to tell what the defendant has done to you. Tell what happened in your own words. Tell what the defendant did and said. Tell when and where the defendant did it or said it. If you were hurt, describe the injury. If the defendant tried to hurt you but did not succeed, or threatened to hurt you, tell what harm was threatened. Be clear, give details, but be as short as you can. F. Put an "X" in this box if the defendant has hurt one or more of the children or has tried to hurt one of them, or has threatened to hurt one of them, or has sexually abused one of them. This includes your own children who are living with you or who are in your custody. It also includes any other children who are living with you or are in your custody, like step-children, nieces, nephews, cousins, grand-children, or foster children. It does not include children who are not living with you and are not in your custody, even if they are yours and even if the defendant has abused them. G. Use these lines to tell what the defendant has done to the children. Tell what happened in your own words. If you did not see or hear it happen, tell how you know. Tell what the defendant did and said. Tell when and where the defendant did it or said it. If the child was hurt, describe the injury. If the defendant tried to hurt the child and did not succeed, or threatened to hurt the child, tell what harm was threatened. If the defendant sexually abused the child, tell exactly what the defendant did. Use appropriate language, and be clear. MCSC-CV-017 10/96 1 American LegalNet, Inc. www.USCourtForms.com H. If you want temporary custody of your children, you must put an "X" in this box and then name the children and give the date of birth of each one in the spaces below. Be sure you list children only when you are the mother and the defendant is the father. I. Put an "X" in this box if you or the children are in so much danger that you want a judge to act immediately. An "Ex Parte Order" means an order signed by a judge before a notice of a hearing is given to the defendant. If you put an "X" in this box, a judge must read this form within 72 hours and decide whether to sign an Ex Parte Order. The judge may want to talk with you before doing this. J. Put an "X" in this box if you want to keep living where you and the defendant have been living. Then write the address of the house or apartment in the space below. Do this even if you have recently moved out and want to go back after the defendant has moved out. Do not do this if you are still living there and the defendant has already moved out. K. Put an "X" in this box if you have already put an "X" in the box beside No. 4 and you believe that the defendant will not move out willingly or will become violent if you try to move back in. If the court orders the eviction of the defendant, a law enforcement officer will make the defendant move out of your home. The officer will protect you while you are moving back in. L. Put an "X" in this box if you want possession of a car, van, truck, motorcycle, or other vehicle which has been used for family purposes. Then use the box to describe the vehicle. You may ask for possession of the vehicle if the title is in your name, or if it is in the defendant's name, or if it is in both of your names. M. Put an "X" in this box if you want temporary custody of the children. Before you put an "X" in this box, make sure you have put an "X" in the box beside No. 5 on the front of the form. N. Put an "X" in this box if you want the defendant to make temporary payments for the support of the children. Before you put an "X" in this box, make sure you have put an "X" in the box beside No. 5 on the form, and an "X" in the box beside No. 9 on the back. TAKE NOTE: A judge will not order child support payments in an Ex Parte Order. The judge will only order child support payments after you and the defendant have a chance to come to court for a hearing after the defendant has been notified to come. There will be a hearing within two weeks, unless the defendant cannot be notified in time. If the judge orders the defendant to make child support payments, they will be made directly to you. The judge will not order the defendant to make payments to the clerk's office or let you receive your checks from the clerk's office, and the judge will not order wage withholding. If you want this kind of help with child support, you should go to the "IV-D Office" at your county Department of Social Services, or talk with a lawyer. NOW DATE AND SIGN THE FORM. THEN TAKE THE FORM TO A NOTARY PUBLIC OR TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE. TELL THE NOTARY PUBLIC OR THE CLERK THAT YOU WANT TO VERIFY A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COMPLAINT. THE NOTARY PUBLIC OR CLERK WILL HAVE YOU TAKE AN OATH OR AFFIRMATION. THEN YOU WILL SIGN AND DATE THE FORM A SECOND TIME, AND THE NOTARY PUBLIC OR CLERK WILL "NOTARIZE" IT. NOW THIS FORM IS READY TO BE "FILED" WITH THE CLERK. THE COST IS $50.00, PLUS $5.00 FOR SHERIFF'S SERVICE...NO PERSONAL CHECKS ACCEPTED. MCSC-CV-017 10/96 2 American LegalNet, Inc. www.USCourtForms.com