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Track the Date
Knowing exactly when your current order expires and working backward from there.
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OfficesFairfax | Manassas
Protective Orders / Renewals & Extensions
Renewals & Extensions · Virginia
When the danger outlasts the order.
A full protective order can last up to two years, but danger does not always end on schedule. When the threat continues, you can ask the court to extend the order. The single most important thing is to file before it expires, so your protection never lapses.
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. The first call to us is a conversation, not a commitment.
The Short Answer
When the danger continues as a full protective order nears its end, you can petition the court to extend it. The order does not have to simply lapse if you still need protection. The key is to file before it expires, so there is no gap.
How It Works
Keeping protection in place.
A two-year order can feel like a long time when it is granted, and then the end date arrives faster than anyone expects. If the person who threatened you is still a danger, you do not have to accept that the order simply ends. Virginia lets you ask the court to extend it. The process is manageable, but it is built around one rule that matters more than any other: act before the order expires.
Why timing is everything
An extension is something you request while the existing order is still in force. File before it expires, and the court can carry your protection forward. Let it lapse, and you may find yourself without an order in place and possibly having to start over rather than extend. That is the difference a single deadline can make, and it is why we encourage people to mark the expiration date the day the order is granted and plan well ahead.
What an extension looks at
An extension generally focuses on whether you still need protection, which can rest on a continuing threat rather than requiring a brand-new act of abuse. You usually do not have to wait for something else to happen before you act. If the underlying danger is still present, that can be the basis for continuing the order. The exact standard is set by Virginia law, so it is worth confirming what your specific situation calls for before the hearing.
How we help
The work here is part calendar and part case. We track the expiration date, prepare the petition to extend in time, and help you show the court why protection is still needed. If circumstances have changed, we account for that too. The goal is simple: no gap, no lapse, and no moment where you are left unprotected because a deadline slipped by. You carried this once already. We make sure renewing it does not become its own ordeal.
What it doesExtends an existing protective order before it expires.
The golden ruleFile before the current order lapses, never after.
The focusWhether protection is still needed, often a continuing threat.
New incidentNot always required; a continuing danger can be enough.
If it lapsesYou may have to start over rather than extend.
Mark the Date the Day You Get the Order
The most common reason protection lapses is a missed expiration date. The moment a two-year order is granted, note when it ends and plan to petition well before then. Filing on time is what keeps protection continuous.
Source: Va. Code § 16.1-279.1 (extension of protective orders). Confirm the current extension standard and timing for your situation.
Alisa Chunephisal, Esq.Founding Partner
Attorney Insight
A few honest things about renewals.
"Write down the expiration date the day you get the order. A lapse is almost always a calendar problem, not a legal one."
The saddest version of these cases is the one where someone still needs protection but the order quietly expired because the date crept up on them. It is heartbreaking and it is avoidable. So the very first thing I tell a client with a two-year order is to write down when it ends, and then we set our own reminder well before that. When the time comes, an extension is usually about showing the court the danger has not gone away, which often does not require waiting for something new and frightening to happen. Reach out before the deadline, not after, and we keep your protection running without a single gap.
Questions People Ask
Plain answers about renewals.
These are the questions people ask most as an order nears its end. If yours is not here, we are happy to answer it directly.
Order expiring soon?
Call 571.260.0999 or send us a message.
Can a protective order be renewed in Virginia?
Yes. When the danger continues as a full protective order nears its end, you can petition the court to extend it. The order does not have to simply lapse if you still need protection. The key is to file before it expires, so there is no gap.
When should I file to extend an order?
File before the current order expires. Because a full order can last up to two years, it is easy to lose track of the end date. Marking it well in advance and petitioning ahead of time keeps your protection continuous and avoids a dangerous gap while a new order is decided.
Do I have to prove new abuse to renew?
Not necessarily. An extension generally focuses on whether you still need protection, which can rest on a continuing threat rather than requiring a brand-new incident. The exact standard is set by Virginia statute, so it is worth confirming what your situation requires before the hearing.
What if my order expires before I renew it?
If the order lapses, you may be left without protection in place and could have to start over rather than extend. That is why filing before the expiration date matters so much. If your order is close to expiring, reach out right away so the petition can be prepared in time.
When You Are Ready
Do not let protection lapse by accident.
If your protective order is nearing its end and the danger continues, reach out now so we can file the extension in time. Three offices across Northern Virginia, one phone number. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.