All 50 States have passed civil and/or criminal statutes to protect battered women. Prosecutor's offices are beginning to implement case screening systems, and courts in a growing number of jurisdictions have implemented procedures for issuing temporary restraining orders and providing advocacy as cases move through court. Although court-mandated counseling programs for batterers have been developed on a limited basis, more of these programs are needed. The court system is plagued by five key problems in its handling of family violence cases: (1) judges, trial court administrators, case managers, and intake officers tend to minimize the dangers encountered by abused women; (2) overloaded dockets prevent scheduling a hearing and a trial date in a timely manner; (3) court personnel lack specialized training related to family violence; (4) abused women fail to call the police or do not go to court because they feel the criminal justice system will not protect them; and (5) adequate counseling programs for both victims and batterers are not available. The use of court orders to protect abused women is discussed, as well as the role of city and county probation departments in optimizing service delivery to victims and batterers. The provision of legal services to battered women by law students and procedures asssociated with the prosecution of family violence cases are also examined. 11 references