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Advisory Committee on Domestic Violence

The Advisory Committee on Domestic Violence provides ongoing advice to the Supreme Court of Ohio regarding statewide rules and uniform standards concerning the establishment and operation of domestic violence programs, development and delivery of services on matters involving domestic violence, and any other issues deemed necessary to support Ohio courts' response to domestic violence and related offenses.


All meetings are open to the public.

  • Friday, Feb. 23, 2024 (in person with virtual option, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.)
  • Friday, June 21, 2024 (virtual, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.)
  • Friday, Sept. 13, 2024 (in person with virtual option, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.)
  • Friday, Dec. 13, 2024 (virtual, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.)

Please contact domesticviolence@sc.ohio.gov to request a meeting link.

In March 1995 – nearly 20 years from the enactment of the first comprehensive domestic violence legislation in Ohio – the late Chief Justice Thomas Moyer assembled the Supreme Court of Ohio Domestic Violence Task Force. The Domestic Violence Task Force was charged with determining the status of coordination and communication among entities responsible for addressing domestic violence issues in the state of Ohio. The Domestic Violence Task Force had 28 original members, representative of all entities addressing domestic violence issues, including judges, magistrate, prosecutors, public defenders, legal aid attorneys, law enforcement officers, victim advocates, members of the medical community, and representatives from both the executive and legislative branches of government.

On Oct. 18, 1996, the Domestic Violence Task Force issued its report, Increasing Safety for Victims; Increasing Accountability of Offenders. The recommendations contained in the report were designed to ensure that Ohio improves its responses to domestic violence by protecting domestic violence victims and holding domestic violence offenders accountable. The recommendations contained in the report ranged from the specific, such as proposing changes to existing legislation, to the broad-based, such as educating domestic violence service providers and criminal justice personnel as to the realities of domestic violence and its victims. The recommendations were directed toward the following five action groups identified by the Domestic Violence Task Force: the Supreme Court of Ohio, the Ohio General Assembly, social service providers, law enforcement agencies, and county domestic violence advisory councils.

Several specific recommendations were proposed to the Supreme Court of Ohio regarding court practices and procedures involved in obtaining a protection order. The court created the Standard Forms Committee in response to the Domestic Violence Task Force's recommendation that the court mandate the use of uniform protection order forms in all Ohio courts with jurisdiction to handle such cases. In addition to developing the forms, the court also charged the Standard Forms Committee with periodically reviewing the forms and submitting revisions of the forms to the court for consideration when changes in the law or procedure necessitate such revisions.

The Standard Forms Committee started meeting in early 1997 to begin developing uniform domestic violence protection order forms. In the fall of 1997, the Committee proposed domestic violence civil and criminal protection order form packets to the Supreme Court for adoption. Included in the form packets were detailed instructions and a thorough explanation of the required court procedures and processes for obtaining both criminal and civil domestic violence protection orders, standardized motions to obtain both protection orders, and a warning page regarding the legal requirements placed on the batterer by domestic violence criminal and civil protection orders. The Supreme Court adopted the form packets and made them effective Jan. 1, 1998.

After the Supreme Court adopted the domestic violence civil and criminal protection order form packets, the Standard Forms Committee directed its attention to developing criminal and civil stalking protection order forms. In December 1999, the committee proposed civil and criminal stalking protection order form packets to the Supreme Court for adoption. The stalking protection order form packets were modeled after the domestic violence protection order form packets and also included detailed instructions and a thorough explanation of the required court procedures and processes for obtaining both criminal and civil stalking protection orders, standardized motions to obtain both protection orders, and a warning page regarding the legal requirements placed on the stalker by criminal and civil stalking protection orders. The Supreme Court adopted the form packets and made them effective March 1, 2000.

The Standard Forms Committee has met continuously since its inception. After the Supreme Court adopted both the domestic violence and stalking protection order form packets, the committee focused on revising and modifying the protection order forms. In the fall of 2001, the committee broadened its mission to include developing and recommending best practices and procedures for improving the Ohio court system's response to domestic violence and stalking. In addition to expanding its mission, the committee changed its name to the Supreme Court of Ohio Domestic Violence Advisory Committee.

  • Establish coordination and communication among courts that issue civil protection orders, temporary protection orders, custody/visitation orders and/or competing orders.
  • Review and amend standardized protection order forms.
  • Review and recommend policies and procedures regarding full faith and credit.
  • Address problems with pro se litigants, immunity, unauthorized practice of law, confidentiality, and communication issues.
  • Review best practices.
  • Review and recommend training for Ohio Judiciary.
  • Review access to legal services for domestic violence litigants.
  • Review and recommend tracking of all statistical filing and disposition information regarding domestic violence and stalking cases.

Contact Information

Advisory Committee on Domestic Violence
Domestic Violence Program
Supreme Court of Ohio
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