Intimate partner violence is a serious and prevalent social problem that has significant negative consequences for women and their children. The authors review research on intimate partner violence to illustrate why protective orders are necessary to the safety of women and children. The discussion next turns to a description of what protective orders are and how many women actually obtain them. Protective orders were developed to provide victims of intimate partner violence with a legal means for prohibiting contact by their violent partners, yet research has indicated that few women actually obtain protective orders against their violent partners. The advantages and disadvantages of protective orders are reviewed and research is presented on the accessibility and perceived acceptability of protective orders. Accessibility barriers women may encounter when seeking protective orders include narrow eligibility requirements and inadequate criminal justice response while acceptability barriers include women’s perceptions of the potential consequences of protective orders, such as retaliation by perpetrators. The characteristics of women who obtain protective orders are explored, which reveal that women who obtain protective orders are more likely to be employed full-time, to be depressed, and to have experienced physical injury from abuse. Finally, the authors turn to the question of whether protective orders work and the characteristics associated with violations. While many women report feeling a greater sense of safety after obtaining protective orders, research suggests that a significant proportion of protective orders are violated, particularly within the first 3 months of receiving the order, and that the violators are rarely held accountable. Future research is needed on the different barriers women face in obtaining and enforcing protective orders. Tables, note, references