This guide is a complete working treatment of protective order practice for petitioners, respondents, advocates, and counsel on both sides. Part I sorts the order types and relationship requirements that determine eligibility, which is where a surprising number of petitions fail before the merits are reached. Part II works the two-stage process from ex parte petition through service to the full hearing, with the proof that actually decides these cases, and Part III catalogues the relief available beyond a no-contact provision — including the possession, custody, and support terms that determine whether a petitioner can practically leave. Part IV covers firearms, the federal prohibitions, the constitutional holding in United States v. Rahimi, and the relinquishment gap that determines whether the prohibition means anything in practice. Part V covers enforcement: full faith and credit, the criminal and contempt routes, and the constitutional limits established in Town of Castle Rock v. Gonzales and DeShaney. Part VI covers the respondent's position, mutual orders, and the predominant aggressor analysis. Parts VII through X cover collateral protections in housing, immigration, and employment, the intersections with criminal, custody, and child welfare proceedings, safety planning, and a verification list for both sides.