Responding to a Personal Protection Order (PPO) in Michigan

A look at what to do if a personal protection order is entered against you in Michigan: the two kinds of PPOs, the 14-day deadline to challenge an order entered without a hearing, what the order can forbid, what happens if it is violated, and what to gather and avoid.

What should I do if a PPO is filed against me in Michigan?

Read the order right away and follow every term. If the judge entered it without a hearing, you generally have 14 days from when you were served or learned of it to file a motion to modify or rescind it and ask for a hearing. Violating a PPO can lead to arrest and jail.

Two Kinds of PPOs

Michigan has two main kinds of personal protection orders, and both are handled by the family division of circuit court. In Downriver, that is the Third Circuit Court in Wayne County. In Monroe County, it is the Monroe County Circuit Court.

A domestic relationship PPO (MCL 600.2950) can be sought against a spouse or former spouse, someone you have a child with, someone you are dating or used to date, or someone you live with or used to live with. A stalking PPO (MCL 600.2950a) does not require that kind of relationship. It is based on claims of stalking or similar conduct.

This guide is written for people with cases in Downriver (Wayne County), Monroe County, and elsewhere in Michigan.

What can a PPO stop me from doing?

A PPO can bar you from things like entering a home or other place, contacting or threatening the person, interfering with them at work or school, and buying or having a firearm.

The exact list depends on which boxes the judge checked on your order. Under MCL 600.2950(1), a domestic relationship PPO can also cover things like taking children from the parent with legal custody, other than as a custody or parenting time order allows, and harming or threatening a pet to scare or control the person. Read your copy line by line.

How long do I have to challenge a PPO in Michigan?

If the PPO was entered without notice to you, you must file a motion to modify or rescind it within 14 days after you were served or got actual notice of it, unless you can show good cause for filing later.

That rule is in MCL 600.2950(13), and the order itself must tell you about it. The court clerk has the motion forms and filing instructions. A PPO entered this way, called an ex parte order, lasts at least 182 days unless the court changes it. Missing the 14-day window can make it much harder to get a hearing. Once you file, the court must hold a hearing within 14 days. If you are required to carry a firearm for work, such as a police officer, and the order bars firearms, the court must schedule the hearing within 5 days (MCR 3.707(A)(2); MCL 600.2950(14)).

The Hearing

At a hearing on your motion, both sides can be heard. You can tell your side, offer documents, and bring witnesses. Stick to the facts. Bring copies of any messages, records, or timelines that respond to what the petition says. Do not bring the other person into a confrontation in the hallway, and do not try to contact them about the hearing yourself.

What happens if I violate a PPO?

If you are 17 or older and violate a PPO, you can be arrested right away and, if found guilty of criminal contempt, face up to 93 days in jail and a fine of up to $500.

That is under MCL 600.2950(23). A violation can also lead to separate criminal charges if the conduct is a crime on its own. Even if the other person reaches out to you, the order still binds you, not them. Only the court can change it.

PPOs and Other Cases

A PPO can affect a divorce, a custody or parenting time case, a criminal case, and your job if it requires a firearm. If you have a criminal case, a bond condition, or a custody order at the same time, all of them apply at once. Make sure your lawyer sees every order.

What to Gather, What to Avoid, and the Bottom Line

Gather your copy of the PPO and petition, the date you were served, any texts, emails, or social media messages between you and the other person, and the names of anyone who saw the events described in the petition. Save messages instead of deleting them.

What not to do:

Do not contact the person, directly or through friends, family, or social media.
Do not go to any place the order lists, even briefly.
Do not post about the person or the case online.
Do not keep or buy a firearm if the order forbids it.
Do not let the 14-day deadline pass if you want a hearing.

A PPO is a civil order, but breaking it has criminal consequences. Follow it exactly and act on the deadline.

How I Can Help

If a PPO has been entered against you in Downriver (Wayne County), Monroe County, or nearby, I can review the order and petition, explain your options, file the motion, and represent you at the hearing.

Call (734) 775-9327 or use my contact form for a free consultation.

This guide is general information about Michigan law, not legal advice. Laws change, and every case is different. Reading this page does not create an attorney-client relationship.