How to Keep Your Address Confidential on Order of Protection Forms

Why am I asked to include my address?

The court where you file your Order of Protection forms needs to know where to send orders and notices.

I don’t want my abuser to know my address. What do I do?

You can ask the Court to keep your address confidential.

How do I ask the Court to keep my address confidential?

You can write “confidential” in the space for your address on your Order of Protection forms.

For Example:

Name: Jane Doe

Address: Confidential

City, State, Zip: Confidential

Telephone No.: message phone: 406/000-0000
 

What will happen if I write “confidential” into the form where my address should be?

The Court will decide how it wants to keep your address confidential. It may keep your address on file at the Court but keep it protected from the abuser. Or it may ask that you provide an alternate address to which it can send Court orders and notices. Or it may handle your request in a different way.

Is there a way I can always keep my address confidential?

You may be eligible for the State of Montana Attorney General’s Office of Victim Services' Address Confidentiality Program. Or call (406) 444-5803.

The Court won’t let me file my forms without my address listed. What should I do?

You may need to talk to a legal professional. You may be able to get help by calling: 

• Montana Legal Services Association HelpLine: 1-800-666-6899
• State of Montana Law Library: (406) 444-3660 

Keep a Record:

• Follow this link to download a Stalking Incident Journal. The journal may be helpful if you are a victim of stalking and need to call law enforcement or have to go to court.

Keep Your Address Safe:

• The Montana Attorney General has forms and information for the Address Confidentiality and Hope Card programs. 

Legal Forms:

Petition Temporary Order of Protection (TOP)

If you have not already applied for a Temporary Order of Protection (TOP) and want to, you can find forms on this website to do that. You can download our write-in-the blank one and complete it by hand. Or, you can use our interactive form and answer questions online and then download a completed form and file it with the court. 

• Follow this link to the write-in-the-blank Petition for Temporary Order of Protection. 
• Follow this link to the interactive Petition for Temporary Order of Protection. 

Change Your Order of Protection

If you already have an Order of Protection but want to ask the court to change, terminate, or renew it, or to ask for an earlier or later hearing on the Order of Protection, you can:

• Follow this link to the Motion for Order of Protection Modification.

Safety Planning:

Safety planning may help you stay safe if the Respondent tries to hurt you, even if you get an Order of Protection.

• Read our article on Safety Planning 
• Get help with safety planning from a Crime Victim Advocate near you 
• Learn more about safety planning from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. 

Legal Help:

Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA) provides free civil legal help to eligible clients. Learn more about how to apply for free legal help.