Clark County Protection Order Attorneys

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated May 27, 2026

Clark County, Ohio · Springfield

A Civil Protection Order (CPO) is the fastest legal protection Ohio offers from domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking. In Clark County, CPO petitions are NOT filed at the main courthouse — they are filed at the Clark County Title Office in the A.B. Graham Building, 55 East Columbia Street, Springfield. There is no filing fee, and the court can grant an ex parte order the same day.

Hire Gavvl for your Clark County cpo case

Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Clark County local forms, the court strategy, and the hearings — and you know the price before we start (flat fees from $2,900).

Start with a $25 consultation and talk through your options with an Ohio family-law attorney before you commit to anything. Get started online or see payment plans & financing.

How do I file a Civil Protection Order in Clark County, Ohio?

Pick the right packet — Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, or Civil Stalking — and file it at the Clark County Title Office in the A.B. Graham Building, 55 East Columbia Street, Springfield. There is no filing fee. If you show immediate and present danger, the court can issue an ex parte (temporary) order the same day, before the respondent appears. A full hearing is scheduled within 7 to 10 days, where both sides present evidence. If the court finds protection is warranted, it can issue a CPO lasting up to 5 years.

Clark County protection orders — get counsel fast

A Civil Protection Order is the fastest legal shield Ohio offers against domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking. In Clark County you do not go to the main courthouse — petitions are filed at the Clark County Title Office in the A.B. Graham Building at 55 East Columbia Street in Springfield, with no filing fee, and the court can grant a same-day ex parte order if you show immediate and present danger. A full hearing follows within 7 to 10 days. Gavvl Law prepares the petition and represents you at that hearing, where a final order can last up to five years.

  • The right packet, filed at the right place. Clark offers three petitions — Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Civil Stalking — matched to your relationship with the respondent, and all are filed at the Title Office in the A.B. Graham Building, not at 101 N. Limestone. We pick the correct packet and file it where the county actually accepts it.
  • A petition specific enough for an ex parte order. Same-day ex parte protection turns on showing immediate and present danger with specific, recent facts — dates, locations, and what happened. We help you set out those incidents clearly so the court has grounds to protect you before the respondent is ever served.
  • Ready for the full hearing within 7 to 10 days. The ex parte order is temporary; the respondent is served and a full hearing is set within 7 to 10 days, where both sides present evidence. We organize your exhibits and witnesses so the court can enter a final CPO — one that can run up to five years.

There is no filing fee for a Clark County CPO petition, and in an emergency you should call 911; the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 and United Way 2-1-1 connect you to local shelter and advocacy. We stand with you from the Title Office petition through the full hearing so the order holds.

Flat-fee options

Flat fee: we file your DV civil protection order petition and represent you at the ex parte and full hearings — or, if you are the responding party, defend you at the full hearing.

  • Defend a protection order (full hearing): $2,900
  • File a DV protection order (petition + hearings): $3,500

Prefer full representation? An Ohio attorney can carry the entire case on a $3,500 retainer.

Split any flat fee with Gavvl Direct — our in-house plan at 19% APR, $500 minimum — on a 60%-down schedule of 18 weekly, 8 bi-weekly, or 4 monthly payments. Affirm, Klarna, and PayPal Pay Later are also available through LawPay.

Start your cpo case or see payment plans & financing.

Real people, — with direct lines

Your consultation

Stephanie Green or Elizabeth Warren, our managing partners — or Niva Elgin, our senior case manager and a licensed New Mexico attorney. They've heard hundreds of situations like yours and will tell you plainly what you need, and what you don't. Meet the firm.

Your attorney

One of our Of Counsel Ohio family-law attorneys is your attorney for the case — from the first strategy call to the final order in Clark County. You have their name and a direct line the day your file opens. Our attorneys.

Your case team

Niva Elgin keeps your case moving as Senior Case Manager. Madeline Wampler, Certified Paralegal, handles documents and scheduling. Erin Schultz, Finance Manager, handles billing and payment plans. Real people who answer when you call.

  • 95+ five-star Google reviews
  • 60+ years of combined Ohio family-law experience
  • Super Lawyers honorees on the team
  • Every flat fee published before you call

From first call to retained, — and every step after

  1. Consultation — A 30-minute phone call, $25. You talk with Stephanie Green, Elizabeth Warren, or Niva Elgin about what's happening and what Ohio law actually does with it. Before you hang up you'll know whether you need a lawyer at all — and if you do, you leave with a written quote: the service we recommend, the price, your financing options, and your next steps.
  2. Choose — Pick the level of help. Pay, or set up financing. Limited-scope flat fee or full representation — you choose, with real numbers in front of you. Pay online, or secure a Gavvl Direct payment plan or third-party financing in a few minutes. Nothing is billed until you decide.
  3. Sign — Your agreement arrives by email. Review the client agreement and sign it electronically — from your phone if you like. While you do, your attorney reviews your intake.
  4. Get started — Your first attorney call goes on the calendar. Limited scope: your attorney's first call is scheduled from your intake. Full representation: a paralegal reaches out the same or next business day to open your file and gather what's needed, then schedules your first attorney call — and if something is urgent, you speak with the attorney first.

It's easier than ever to retain an excellent attorney.

How you'll stay updated — you never have to wonder

Every client gets GavvLink™, our client portal, on day one. Your whole case — messages, calendar, billing, status — lives in one place, and your team is a message away.

  • Reach your attorney directly. Message, text, email, or call. Request a callback or book time on their calendar yourself — no waiting to hear back.
  • Case calendar with reminders. Every hearing, deadline, and milestone, with a reminder before each one.
  • Case status updates. See where your case stands and what happens next, updated as it moves.
  • Payments and billing in real time. Every entry on your account as it posts, plus links to make a payment or add funds.
  • Your case team, one message away. Full-representation clients message their paralegal and case manager the same way — and they answer.
  • 24/7 receptionists and direct lines. Something urgent after hours? A live receptionist answers around the clock and reaches your team. You also have your attorney's direct line — and a way to reach the managing partners. We return calls and messages promptly.

Can I do this without an attorney?

sometimes, yes. Ohio lets you represent yourself, and for a genuinely agreed dissolution or a simple motion, some people do. The Clark County forms and local rules are linked in the questions below, and our free tools will draft a parenting plan or estimate child support before you spend anything.

Here's what the online-divorce platforms leave out: most Ohio counties require their own forms and language on top of the statewide ones, and a rejected filing is the most common reason people call us after trying it alone. A $25, 30-minute call tells you whether you can do this yourself — and if you can, we'll say so.

Schedule Your $25 Consultation

Where to File: Clark County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations (Adult Section)

101 North Limestone Street, Springfield, OH 45502
Phone: (937) 521-1753
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Website: Court website

Civil Protection Orders is the right path if…

  • You are a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking and need court protection.
  • You need immediate protection — a stay-away, no-contact, residence exclusion, or surrender-of-weapons order.
  • You can describe specific incidents with dates and details in a sworn petition.
  • You want protection that can last up to 5 years after a full hearing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which forms do I need to file for cpo in Clark County?

Domestic Violence Protection Order

For victims of domestic violence by a family or household member. Filed at the Clark County Title Office.

Dating Violence Protection Order

For victims in a dating relationship who are not family or household members.

  • Dating Violence Civil Protection Order Packet — Clark County petition packet for a Dating Violence CPO — for petitioners in a dating relationship who are not family or household members. Filed at the Title Office; no filing fee.

Civil Stalking Protection Order

For victims of stalking, whether or not there is a family or dating relationship.

  • Civil Stalking Protection Order Packet — Clark County petition packet for a Civil Stalking Protection Order. Filed at the Clark County Title Office, A.B. Graham Building, 55 E. Columbia Street, Springfield. No filing fee.

How to file civil protection orders in Clark County

  1. Choose the right packet. Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, or Civil Stalking — based on your relationship to the respondent. All three are available from Clark County.
  2. Write specific facts in the petition. Include dates, locations, what happened, and any witnesses. Specific, recent facts support an ex parte order.
  3. File at the Clark County Title Office. File at the A.B. Graham Building, 55 East Columbia Street, Springfield. There is no filing fee.
  4. Get same-day ex parte review. If you show immediate and present danger, the court can issue an ex parte order the same day. It takes effect when the respondent is served.
  5. Attend the full hearing. A full hearing is set within 7 to 10 days. Bring your evidence and witnesses. The court can issue a final CPO lasting up to 5 years.
What does civil protection orders cost in Clark County?
Two numbers matter. The court's filing fee, which the Clerk sets and can confirm. And the attorney work: Our published flat fees from $2,900 cover drafting and filing the paperwork (limited scope — the court's filing fee is invoiced separately), with payment plans available. Prefer full representation? An attorney can carry the whole case on a retainer — every number is published in the pricing section above.
What forms do I need for civil protection orders in Clark County?
It depends on your situation — children, temporary orders, and which court you file in all change the packet. Answer the quick questions in the paperwork section above and your exact Clark County checklist appears, with every official form linked as a PDF.
How long does civil protection orders take in Clark County?
It depends on how much you and the other side agree. Agreed matters generally move through Clark County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations (Adult Section) in months, not years; contested cases take longer. The part you control is filing a complete, correct packet the first time — bounced paperwork is the most common self-filing delay.
Do we really need lawyers if we agree?
Maybe not — and we'll say so at a $25 consultation. But an agreement only counts if it survives on paper, in the exact packet Clark County's court expects, and what you file becomes a binding court order that is hard to fix later. Precision drafting for people who already agree is most of what our flat-fee work is: done once, done right.
Where are the Clark County local rules, and what does this court do differently?

Judges, magistrates, and filing fees change, so we do not publish them here. Clark County posts the current information itself:

  • Filed at the Title Office, not the courthouse. Clark County CPO petitions are filed at the Clark County Title Office in the A.B. Graham Building, 55 East Columbia Street, Springfield — not at the Domestic Relations Court at 101 N. Limestone Street.
  • Same-day ex parte protection. If you show immediate and present danger, the court can issue an ex parte (temporary) order the same day, protecting you before the respondent has a chance to appear.
  • Full hearing and up to a 5-year order. A full hearing is scheduled within 7 to 10 days, and the respondent is served with notice. At the hearing both sides present evidence; the court can then issue a CPO lasting up to 5 years.
  • What a CPO can order. A CPO can order the respondent to stay away from you, leave a shared residence, have no contact with you or your children, surrender firearms, and follow other protective provisions.
Are there free legal resources in Clark County?
  • Clark County DR Clerk. 101 N. Limestone Street, Springfield, OH 45502. Phone (937) 521-1753 for filing-fee deposits, copy requirements, and procedural questions.
  • Ohio Supreme Court Standardized Forms. Clark County uses these forms for every DR case type — divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, and post-decree modifications. Available at supremecourt.ohio.gov.
  • Clark County Public Library (Main Branch, S. Fountain Ave.). LawPak Ohio Dissolution forms at the Reference Desk and access to the Cengage Legal Forms Database (library card required).
  • Clark County Mediation Referral. Court-connected mediation for custody, parenting time, and post-decree disputes. Referral form linked from clarkcountyohio.gov DR forms page.
  • Legal Aid of Western Ohio. Free civil legal assistance for income-qualifying Clark County residents. Call (877) 894-4599.
  • Clark County Bar Association. Lawyer referral service. clarkcobar.com.
  • United Way 2-1-1 (Clark, Champaign & Madison Counties). Free 24/7 referral line for local shelter, advocacy, and social services.

Other Family-Law Topics in Clark County

Related to your cpo case

  • Paternity & Custody — Establish parentage and build a parenting plan that protects your children.
  • Divorce & Dissolution — End your marriage through a contested divorce or an amicable dissolution.
  • Child Support — Calculate, establish, or modify support under Ohio's guidelines.

Related guides

In-depth, attorney-written guides on cpo and related Ohio family law topics.

  • Civil Protection Orders in Ohio: How to Get a CPO — An Ohio civil protection order can provide fast, court-ordered protection from domestic violence — including no-contact terms, exclusive home use, and temporary custody. Here's how to get one.
  • I Think My Ex Is Drinking or Using Drugs. Is There Anything I Can Do? (Ohio) — You do not have to prove your co-parent is using before you ask an Ohio court for help — you have to give the court a credible reason to look. This guide covers what a judge actually cares about, emergency filings versus modification, how to ask for the right test panel (fentanyl and alcohol are not on standard screens), EtG, PEth, hair and nail testing windows, alcohol monitoring during parenting time, guardians ad litem, and supervised time with step-up plans.

Other Clark family-law topics & tools

Call (513) 643-1969 or email support@gavvl.com.