Step 2: Ex parte hearing
After you have filed the forms with the clerk of court, the clerk will forward them to the judge. The judge may ask you questions about what you wrote in your affidavit at what is often called an ex parte hearing. An ex parte hearing basically means that only one side is present for the hearing and it is done without prior notice to the abuser. You have the responsibility of proving the incidents of abuse included in your petition, so if you have evidence to prove the abuse, you may want to bring it with you to the hearing.1 You can read our At the Hearing page for more information about how to prepare for a court hearing. If the judge decides that you have been a victim of domestic abuse, the judge may issue you a temporary restraining order.
1 O.R.S. § 107.710(2)