Utah News Dispatch
Attorneys stress there’s help for Utahns seeking domestic violence protective orders
Stewart Ralphs of the Salt Lake Legal Aid Society speaks at a news conference at the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (Courtesy of the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office)
Utah law enforcers and attorneys are reminding survivors of domestic violence that help to obtain protective orders is available, regardless of whether they want to pursue criminal charges against a perpetrator.
Police, prosecutors and advocates gathered at the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office on Thursday to reinforce the message during a national month of awareness for domestic violence.
The protective order process can be intimidating and requires filing paperwork in the state court system. But for those seeking help from the nonprofit Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake, it can start from the comfort of home with a call with a skilled paralegal, said Stewart Ralphs, the group’s executive director.
“Most of our clients are working individuals, and having that option of doing it remotely is very beneficial for them,” Ralphs said.
The nonprofit represented more than 2,500 people in its domestic violence program last year, and 200 more in a separate domestic relations program, he added.
To obtain a protective order, Utahns don’t need to have been married or living with the other person. A civil stalking injunction is another option, and it’s based on an aggressor’s specific behavior rather than the type of relationship. Violating one of the orders is a criminal offense, with police required to make an arrest on the spot.
Most of Utah’s various civil protective orders last three years, but provisions regarding custody and parent time run out much faster, after just 150 days, Ralphs noted. He said his organization can help people with custody or divorce cases, too.
The Legal Aid Society helps low-income people within the bounds of Salt Lake County, but will refer those who don’t meet its restrictions on income or geography to other agencies, he said.
On the criminal side, prosecutors can pursue other sorts of protective orders for victims when a case gets to their desks, said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill.
“We may have as many as six different kinds of protective orders in place throughout that process, working with our advocates, working with our counselors, and trying to meet the needs of our victim and survivor,” Gill said. “That is something I don’t think most people realize.”
For more information on particular protective orders and stalking injunctions, visit the state courts website: utcourts.gov.
