Bull Run, Virginia · Protective Orders

Not every dangerous person is family. If someone who is not a family or household member has stalked, assaulted, or threatened you, Virginia offers a protective order built for exactly that. In Bull Run, you can ask for a stalking or assault protective order against a neighbor, a coworker, an acquaintance, a stranger, or anyone outside your household. It can order them to leave you alone and stay away, and it can be in place quickly.

By Corrie Sirkin, Esq. · Founding Partner, NOVA Legal Professionals

This article is one part of our larger protective orders guide. For the full picture, start with our cornerstone, Protective Orders in Virginia. Here, I will focus on stalking and assault protective orders for danger from outside the family.

A different order for a different relationship

Virginia splits protective orders by relationship. Family abuse orders cover spouses, partners, and household members. When the person is not family or household, a neighbor, a coworker, an acquaintance, or a stranger, you turn to a stalking or assault protective order instead. It covers an act of violence, force, or threat, as well as stalking and sexual assault. The protection is just as real. The difference is which court and which statute apply. You can read more on our stalking and assault protective orders page.

What counts as stalking

Stalking is more than a single unsettling moment. It is conduct directed at you on more than one occasion that would make a reasonable person fear for their safety, fear death, or suffer serious emotional distress. Repeated following, repeated unwanted messages, showing up where you are again and again, monitoring your movements, all of it can amount to stalking under Virginia law. You do not have to wait for it to turn physical. The pattern itself is what the law recognizes.

What the order can do

A stalking or assault order can prohibit the person from any contact with you, in person, by phone, or online, and order them to stay away from your home, your job, and your school. Like other protective orders, it can also trigger a firearm prohibition while it is in effect. Whether the danger comes from someone you barely know or someone you see every day, the order draws a clear, enforceable line the person is legally bound to respect.

How the process moves

Stalking and assault protection follows the same three-stage path. An emergency order gives you immediate, short-term safety. A preliminary order holds for up to fifteen days on your sworn statement. A full order, after a hearing where both sides appear, can last up to two years. These matters are heard on the criminal side of the courthouse, and we guide you to the right court and the right stage for your situation. You can read more on our stalking and assault protective orders page.

Documenting danger from outside the home

When the danger comes from outside your household, evidence is everything, because there is often no shared history the court already knows about. Save the messages, screenshot the social media, keep the voicemails, and write down each encounter while it is fresh. Witnesses who saw the conduct help too. The clearer the record of what the person did and how often, the stronger your petition for an order that keeps them away.

How we help in Bull Run

We help you confirm that a stalking or assault order fits, build the record of the pattern, move through the emergency, preliminary, and full stages, and present your case at the hearing. Bull Run stalking and assault matters are filed in the Prince William County General District Court, and we serve people across Bull Run and western Prince William County. You can read more on our stalking and assault protective orders page.

Frequently Asked Questions