Affordable, guided legal help for California Domestic Violence Restraining Order cases.

Our guided online interviews help you prepare your California court forms and evidence and provide you with personalized, step-by-step instructions, videos, checklists, and plain-language legal education — all designed so you can navigate your case without a lawyer.

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U Do It Legal makes facing family court manageable and affordable.

Facing family court without a lawyer can be overwhelming. Many people assume they have a right to a free, court-appointed attorney, but the Sixth Amendment guarantees that right only in criminal cases—not in family law. With the right support, you can navigate court and confidently manage your case.

California DVRO Help, No Lawyer Needed.

We offer guidance in preparing your California Domestic Violence Restraining Order court forms in person or online with step-by-step guidance (just like popular DIY tax-preparation software). Get affordable legal help, no lawyer required.

Our “U Do It” Restraining Order Toolkit

We make restraining order cases as simple as possible. Here’s what you get as a member:

California Court Forms & Documents

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As you answer questions in our online guided interviews, your responses are used to prepare the appropriate court forms, evidence attachments, and documents for your domestic violence restraining order, divorce, or other California family law proceeding (case).

Personalized Legal Education

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Our guided interviews break down the complexities of different order types, state laws, and court procedures into clear and straightforward terms and easy-to-understand steps to make navigating your case as smooth as possible.

Videos, Written Resources, Checklist Instructions, Pleading Examples, & More!

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Our free legal information resources come in videos, a legal terms glossary, legal articles, sample court forms, descriptions of relevant California family law statutes, and more! Review our free resources under the ‘Resources’ tab.

Are you eligible for our DIY family law services?

  • Age

    You must be 18 years of age or older.

  • Language

    You must be proficient in English (we’re currently developing Spanish-language services as well).

  • Location

    You must either live in California or be eligible to participate in a California DVRO proceeding

  • Case Type

    UDIL only provides services for Domestic Violence Restraining Order cases at this time.

  • Representation

    You must be a self representing litigant (i.e. not represented by a lawyer) with legal decision-making capacity.

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Are U Do It Legal’s guided self-help services right for you?

Take our eligibility quiz to find out if you qualify for our services.

Get the right restraining order Package in 3 simple steps:

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Complete our ‘Eligibility Quiz’ (Coming soon)

Then, create a U Do It Legal account.

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Complete our ‘Package Sorting Quiz’ on your member homepage and purchase the appropriate Package.

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Your member homepage will auto-update with your DVRO Package’s guided interviews!

  • Unlike a court self-help center or law firm, U Do It Legal does not have the triage capacity to sit down with each of our potential customers in a virtual or in-person consultation to:

    1. determine eligibility for our services, and

    2. route you to the correct DVRO service.

      (Note: we have 5 different restraining order packages, which are specifically tailored to the customer’s party type and whether there is an active restraining order in place).

    That said, it is our ethical responsibility as a legal service provider to determine prospective clients’ general eligibility for the services they intend to purchase, before they make the purchase.

    This is why we designed our web app so that users must first take a short (less than 1-minute) ‘Eligibility Quiz.’ Once you have cleared the initial eligibility check, our software assesses a few of your case's circumstances to ensure you're then routed to the UDIL package that best fits your legal needs.

    Click here to review our online DIY restraining order service packages.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes. Over 70% of restraining order proceedings nationwide have at least one self-represented party (i.e. a party without attorney representation).

    U Do It Legal is built specifically for self-represented litigants—people going to court without a lawyer. While we don’t provide legal advice or replace a lawyer, we offer a clear and supportive way to navigate the legal process on your own.

    If you can afford an attorney, we recommend speaking with one. But if hiring a lawyer isn’t possible—or if you just need help getting started—U Do It Legal is here to help you feel confident and prepared.

  • Affordable flat-rate pricing:

    Hiring a private attorney for a DVRO case typically requires paying a retainer of $3,000 to $15,000+ on average, and family law attorneys in California charge between $250 and $500 per hour.

    Our DIY digital services start at just $49. Our in-person DVRO clinic (including attorney form review) is priced at a $500 flat rate, giving you structured guidance at a fraction of the cost.

    More privacy and convenience than a self-help center:

    Court self-help centers and legal aid clinics typically offer pro-bono (free) support for self-representing litigants (SRLs), but many have the following limitations:

    • Operate only during limited weekday business hours, leading many SRLs to take multiple days off work to get the help they need

    • Provide minimal privacy in crowded public spaces (think the DMV, but for people with civil and family law issues)

    • Most self-help centers in large counties offer little to no help actually filling out forms. You’re typically expected to arrive with >80% of the court forms already completed, or if you’re just starting your case, you’re typically sent away with a packet of forms to complete on your own.

    U Do It Legal gives you the ability to work through your forms privately and at your own pace, with step-by-step guidance built for convenience.

    In short: we’re comprehensive, affordable, and private — a better fit for self-represented litigants who want to handle their DVRO paperwork confidently.

  • U Do It Legal is not a law firm and we don’t provide ongoing representation. If you attend our in-person DVRO Clinic, you’ll receive an attorney consultation/final review of your paperwork before filing. Our digital service packages are much cheaper and provide guided self-help, but they do not include attorney consultations.

  • Yes! We provide services for BOTH parties, across the full DVRO process.

    Most resources only assist petitioners (protected parties) with the initial Request for DVRO. We serve both petitioners/protected parties AND respondents/restrained parties — always separately and with safety in mind. We’ve built five distinct service packages tailored to the most common DVRO situations:

    1. Request a DVRO – for petitioners seeking protection.

    2. Respond to a DVRO Request – for respondents who have been served with a restraining order request.

    3. Renew a DVRO (ROAH) – for protected parties who already have a “permanent” Restraining Order After Hearing (ROAH) and want to extend it.

    4. Request to Change or End a DVRO (ROAH) – for either party seeking to change or end an ROAH.

    5. Respond to a Request to Change or End a DVRO (ROAH) – for the other party responding to a request to change or end an ROAH.

  • Yes. California Judicial Council forms (the official court forms) are available as free PDF downloads on the California Courts website.

    However, while the forms themselves are free, knowing which ones you need and how to complete them correctly can be overwhelming. For example, in a Domestic Violence Restraining Order (DVRO) case, there are over 50 possible DVRO forms, and which ones apply depends on your specific situation. Filling them out incorrectly can delay your case or even lead to your request being denied.

    That’s where U Do It Legal helps bridge the gap. Our guided services walk you through the process step by step, so you know you’re preparing the right forms, the right way.

    For those who want to explore the forms directly, we also provide free resources:

Free Family Law Resources for Californians

In addition to our paid services, we provide a variety of free legal information resources and links to official California judicial council forms (court forms), no payment required!

Don’t know where to start? View All Resources.

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Upcoming Self-Help Services by U Do It Legal

  • Domestic Violence Restraining Order (DVRO) 

    Learn more about our DVRO services→

  • Stipulated Divorce Judgment

    Marital Dissolution / Dissolution of Domestic Partnership Services (Coming 2026)

  • Parentage

    Paternity / Child Custody, Visitation, and Support for Unwed Parents (Coming 2026)

  • Civil Harassment Restraining Order (CHRO)

    Services for Both Parties (Coming 2026)

  • Elder Abuse Restraining Order (EARO)

    Services for Both Parties (Coming 2026)

  • Other (Non-DV) Restraining Order Services

    GVRO and WVRO Services (Coming 2026)