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The Right Track
Confirming that a non-family protective order, not a family abuse order, is the route that fits.
Monday - Friday8:30AM - 5PM
OfficesFairfax | Manassas
Protective Orders / Stalking & Assault Orders
Stalking & Assault Orders · Virginia
Protection from someone you are not related to.
The danger does not have to come from inside the family to be real. Virginia lets you seek a protective order against a stalker, an acquaintance, a coworker, a neighbor, or a stranger. If someone outside your household has made you afraid, the law still has a way to protect you.
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. The first call to us is a conversation, not a commitment.
The Short Answer
Virginia provides protective orders for people who are not family or household members, covering situations like stalking, assault, or other acts of violence by an acquaintance, coworker, neighbor, or stranger. These orders follow a separate track from family abuse orders but offer similar protections.
How It Works
The relationship decides the track.
Virginia divides protective orders by who the other person is to you. When that person is a family or household member, the family abuse track applies. When they are not, when they are a stalker, an acquaintance, a coworker, a neighbor, or someone you do not know at all, a separate track exists for exactly that situation. The protections look similar; the difference is which door you walk through.
Who this track is for
This is the route for harm that comes from outside your household. A neighbor who threatens you, a coworker who will not stop, an ex who was never a household member, a stranger who follows you. If the person who is frightening you is not a family or household member, you are not without options. Virginia recognizes that danger does not require a relationship, and the law gives you a way to respond.
What it can address
These orders can address an act of violence, force, or threat, as well as stalking conduct, that places you in reasonable fear for your safety. Stalking in particular tends to be a pattern rather than a single event: repeated following, contact, or surveillance that adds up to a credible threat. You do not necessarily have to have been physically attacked. A credible course of conduct that makes you reasonably afraid can support an order.
The same three levels
Like family abuse orders, protection here comes in stages. An emergency order can be issued quickly to address an immediate threat. A preliminary order holds protection in place after you file. A full protective order, entered after a hearing, can last up to two years and can be extended if the danger continues. The staged structure means you are not left exposed while the case works its way to a full hearing.
What an order can require
An order can prohibit the person from contacting you, require them to stay away from your home, your job, and your school, and impose other terms the court finds necessary for your safety. Because there is usually no shared home or children in these cases, the terms often center on contact and proximity. We help you ask for protections that match the way this person has actually intruded on your life.
Who it coversPeople who are not family or household members: acquaintances, coworkers, neighbors, strangers.
The standardAn act of violence, force, or threat, or stalking conduct, causing reasonable fear.
StalkingOften a pattern of following or contact rather than a single event.
Three levelsEmergency, preliminary, and full orders, mirroring the family abuse track.
What it can doNo contact and stay-away terms covering home, work, and school.
Danger Does Not Require a Relationship
You do not have to be related to someone, or have lived with them, to seek protection from them. If a stalker or an outsider has made you reasonably afraid, Virginia gives you a track built for exactly that.
Source: Va. Code § 19.2-152.7:1 et seq. Confirm the current statutory text and standards as they apply to your situation.
Alisa Chunephisal, Esq.Founding Partner
Attorney Insight
A few honest things about stalking cases.
"Save everything. The texts, the screenshots, the dates. A pattern written down is what turns fear into a case the court can act on."
People in these situations often feel like no one will take them seriously because the person is not a spouse or a relative. They will. Virginia has a track built for exactly this. The single most useful thing I tell people is to save everything and write it down: every message, every time you saw the car, every contact, with dates. Stalking is rarely one dramatic moment. It is a pattern, and a pattern is what persuades a judge. Bring me what you have, even if it feels scattered, and we will turn it into a clear timeline. You do not have to wait for it to escalate before you act.
Questions People Ask
Plain answers about stalking and assault orders.
These are the questions people ask most when the danger comes from outside the family. If yours is not here, we are happy to answer it directly.
Need to talk it through?
Call 571.260.0999 or send us a message.
Can I get a protective order against someone who is not family?
Yes. Virginia provides protective orders for people who are not family or household members, covering situations like stalking, assault, or other acts of violence by an acquaintance, coworker, neighbor, or stranger. These orders follow a separate track from family abuse orders but offer similar protections.
What is the difference between a family abuse order and a stalking order?
The difference is the relationship. A family abuse protective order applies when the other person is a family or household member. A protective order for acts like stalking or assault applies when the person is outside that relationship, such as an acquaintance, coworker, neighbor, or stranger. The protections are similar; the track depends on who the person is to you.
Do I need to be physically attacked to get a protective order?
Not necessarily. These orders can address an act of violence, force, or threat, as well as stalking conduct, that places you in reasonable fear for your safety. A credible pattern of stalking or threats can support an order even without a physical attack.
How long does a stalking or assault order last?
Like family abuse orders, these come in levels: a short emergency order, a preliminary order that holds until a full hearing, and a full protective order that can last up to two years. A full order can be extended by petitioning the court before it expires if the danger continues.
When You Are Ready
Take the threat seriously, and so will we.
Tell us who is frightening you and what they have done, and we will help you seek protection through the right track. Three offices across Northern Virginia, one phone number. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.