Kentucky law has long allowed a person who is the victim of “domestic violence” to seek a protective order. This order can require the “abuser” to vacate a shared residence, to have no contact with the “victim”, to restrict the places the abuser can visit and place the offender on a global positioning device. This protection has been available for many years to family members, members of a married or formerly married couple, members of an unmarried couple who currently live together or formerly lived together, or have a child in common. Recently, the Kentucky General Assembly expanded the definition of “members of an unmarried couple” to include people who are or have previously been in a dating relationship. The amended statute describes a “dating relationship” as one of “a romantic or intimate nature.”
Emergency Protection Orders are filed at the Muhlenberg County Circuit Clerk’s Domestic Violence office.