Injunction for Protection (Restraining Order) in Lake County, Florida

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233. Florida's statewide hotline is 1-800-500-1119.

Lake County's Family Court Self-Help Office takes walk-ins, unlike some smaller Fifth Circuit counties. Hours run Monday through Friday, 8:30am to noon and 1:00 to 4:30pm, on the 5th floor East Wing of the Lake County Judicial Center, 550 W. Main Street in Tavares. You file an injunction for protection in that same building.

None of the five injunction types has a filing fee: domestic violence, repeat violence, dating violence, sexual violence, or stalking. Compare that to Lake County's $397.50 dissolution filing fee.

A judge can sign a temporary injunction the same day, without notifying the respondent first, if the petition shows immediate and present danger. The order lasts up to 15 days, and Florida law requires the full hearing to happen before it expires.

How an injunction for protection works in Florida

An injunction for protection against domestic violence (Fla. Stat. 741.30) is for someone you have a close relationship with, such as a spouse or former spouse, someone you live with or used to live with as a family, a co-parent, or a close relative. Florida has related injunctions for repeat violence, dating violence, sexual violence, and stalking that may apply instead if the relationship does not fit the domestic violence category.Florida uses the same statewide forms in every county, including Lake County, FL. The basic steps are:

1. File a Petition for Injunction for Protection Against Domestic Violence (Florida Supreme Court approved family law form 12.980(a)) at the courthouse. There is no filing fee.
2. A judge reviews your petition, often the same day, and can grant a temporary injunction that lasts until your hearing.
3. The other person is served with the paperwork and can respond.
4. You attend a full hearing, generally within about 15 days of a temporary injunction.
5. If the judge grants a final injunction, it can last a fixed term or until further order of the court, and can be extended.

An injunction for protection can do more than order someone to stay away. It can set temporary time-sharing with children, require the other person to leave a shared home, and require them to surrender firearms. Local domestic violence advocates and the clerk's office can help you fill out the forms, often at no cost.

Where to file in Lake County, FL

Injunction requests in Lake County, FL are filed with the Fifth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Lake County. Because courthouse locations, hours, and local domestic violence resources change over time, confirm current details using the Florida court clerk directory:

Find the Lake County, FL Clerk of Court (Florida court clerk directory)

Local notes for Lake County, FL

Lake County's Self-Help Office allows walk-ins rather than requiring an appointment, so getting form guidance in person is easier here than in Citrus or Hernando Counties. Staff still cannot give legal advice or tell you what to write in a petition.

Once a judge signs the order, the Lake County Sheriff's Office serves the respondent at no cost to the petitioner. The clerk pays for that service directly.

The Fifth Judicial Circuit's general domestic violence injunctions page covers Lake alongside Citrus, Hernando, Marion, and Sumter Counties. It does not name a specific certified local shelter, so the statewide hotline is the most direct route to current services.

Lake County's geography is spread out, with population centers in Clermont, Leesburg, and Mount Dora. The single Tavares courthouse sits centrally, but residents on either edge of the county may still face a long drive.

The same statewide injunction rules apply across Lake and its Fifth Circuit neighbors: Citrus, Hernando, Marion, and Sumter. Lake's walk-in self-help office is still more accessible than the appointment-only programs some neighboring counties use.

The Self-Help Office's walk-in hours, 8:30am to noon and 1:00 to 4:30pm on weekdays, leave a midday gap. Plan around it if procedural help, not the injunction filing itself, is the goal of your visit.

Official injunction resources in Lake County, FL

Lake County Judicial Center handles restraining-orders filings, located at 550 W. Main Street, Tavares 32778.

The filing fee is $0. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Statewide e-filing portal; mandatory for attorneys, but self-represented parties may still file on paper at the Judicial Center.

Fifth Judicial Circuit Family Court Self-Help Office (https://www.circuit5.org/self-help-center/lake-county-self-help-center/) can help with procedure and paperwork. 5th Floor East Wing of the Lake County Judicial Center; walk-in Mon-Fri 8:30am-12:00pm and 1:00-4:30pm; provides procedural information and form checklists, explicitly prohibited from giving legal advice.

• Fifth Judicial Circuit - Lake County Self-Help Center
• Fla. Stat. 741.30 - Domestic Violence Injunction
• Form 12.980(q) - Petition for Injunction Against Sexual Violence
• Fifth Judicial Circuit - Domestic Violence Injunctions

Local details reviewed August 2026. Offices and locations can change, so confirm with the official sites above before you file.

Lake County, FL Injunction for Protection FAQs