Will a judge believe me?
If you are afraid a Wyoming judge will not take your situation seriously, it helps to know the law is built to act fast on your word alone when danger is immediate. A circuit court judge can grant an ex parte order the same day, based on your petition and affidavit, before the other person is even notified. Specific dates and details make that first decision easier to make quickly. Anything else you have kept — messages, a written timeline, photos — matters most afterward, at the hearing where the respondent can appear.
Types of protective orders in Wyoming
Wyoming’s Domestic Violence Protection Act (W.S. § 35-21-101 through § 35-21-112) lets someone who has experienced domestic abuse from a household member, family member, or someone they have a dating or ongoing intimate relationship with, petition for an Order of Protection. It works in two stages:
- Ex Parte (Temporary) Order of Protection — an immediate order granted without notifying the respondent first.
- Order of Protection — the order issued after a hearing where the respondent can appear, which Wyoming law allows to remain in effect for up to one year.
Circuit court handles these petitions — you file where you live, where the respondent lives, or where the abuse occurred. There is no filing fee, and you are not required to have a lawyer, though free self-help packets are available through the Wyoming Judicial Branch.
Emergency / ex parte orders
The Ex Parte Order of Protection is Wyoming’s fast-acting option under W.S. § 35-21-104. If the petition and affidavit show a danger of further domestic abuse, the court is directed to grant the temporary order immediately, without waiting for the respondent’s side. Wyoming law then requires a hearing on the full petition within 72 hours of the ex parte order being granted, or as soon after that as the case can be heard — that is when the respondent can appear and the judge decides whether to issue a longer Order of Protection.
How to file in Wyoming
- Get the do-it-yourself protection order forms from the Wyoming Judicial Branch website or your circuit court clerk’s office — filing is free.
- File your petition and affidavit with the circuit court clerk in the county where you live, where the respondent lives, or where the abuse happened.
- A judge reviews the petition and, if it shows a danger of further abuse, can grant an Ex Parte Order of Protection the same day.
- The respondent is served with the order and notified of the hearing date.
- A hearing is held, generally within about 72 hours of the ex parte order, where both sides can present their case and the judge decides whether to issue a full Order of Protection, for up to one year.
What evidence helps
A judge can grant the ex parte order on your sworn petition alone when danger is immediate, but the 72-hour hearing is where a fuller record matters, since the respondent can now respond. A dated journal entry written close to each incident, texts or calls with visible timestamps, and the names of anyone who witnessed what happened all give the judge something concrete to weigh. Keep the originals, organize them by date, and bring copies to the hearing rather than relying on memory alone.
Because Wyoming’s hearing window is only about 72 hours, there usually is not much time to assemble new documentation after the ex parte order is granted. It is worth gathering what you already have — saved messages, a rough timeline of past incidents, anyone who can speak to what they saw — as soon as you decide to petition, rather than waiting for the hearing date to get close.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a restraining order called in Wyoming?
- Wyoming law uses the term Order of Protection, issued under the state’s Domestic Violence Protection Act.
- Which court do I file in?
- Circuit court, in the county where you live, where the respondent lives, or where the abuse occurred.
- How long until my hearing?
- Wyoming law directs the court to hold a hearing within 72 hours of granting an Ex Parte Order of Protection, or as soon after as the case can be heard.
- Is there a cost to file?
- No. There is no filing fee for a petition for an Order of Protection in Wyoming, and you do not need an attorney to file.
- What if the abuse happened in a different county than where I live now?
- Wyoming law lets you choose among three options: the circuit court where you live, where the respondent lives, or where the abuse occurred — whichever is most practical for your situation.