Marie E. Matyjaszek
When a personal protection order (PPO) is granted in Michigan, it is supposed to give the petitioner assurance that the perpetrator will abide by the court order restricting contact with the petitioner. Once the PPO is granted, it must be served upon the respondent so he or she knows that the PPO exists and what the restrictions entail.
However, police officers charge a service fee and mileage to serve the respondent with the PPO, and private process servers can cost considerably more. The exact cost can vary depending on which department provides the service, and coming up with the money can be difficult for the petitioner, ultimately delaying service. Most PPOs involve some form of domestic violence, a significantly underreported crime. Forms of control exerted by the perpetrator include financial, leaving the victim little to no access to money.
Michigan Senate Bills 611 and 612 have been approved by the Senate and would provide service of the PPO within 72 hours at no charge to the petitioner. The PPO would designate a law enforcement agency located within the respondent’s jurisdiction as responsible for serving the order on the respondent. However, the petitioner could use another police agency or competent adult (not a party) to serve the respondent, if desired. The costs associated with law enforcement serving the PPO would come from the Personal Protection Order Service Fund, which has already secured $1 million as part of the 2026 state budget.
The tragic death of Latricia Green, who was killed in August 2025 by her ex-husband, stresses the importance of this legislation. While she had an outstanding PPO against him, it had not been served at the time of her death. Forty-three states already provide free service of PPOs, leaving Michigan in a very small minority. This legislation recognizes that money should not dictate a person’s safety.
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Marie Matyjaszek is a judicial attorney at the Washtenaw County Trial Court; however, the views expressed in this column are her own. She can be reached by emailing her at matyjasz@hotmail.com.
However, police officers charge a service fee and mileage to serve the respondent with the PPO, and private process servers can cost considerably more. The exact cost can vary depending on which department provides the service, and coming up with the money can be difficult for the petitioner, ultimately delaying service. Most PPOs involve some form of domestic violence, a significantly underreported crime. Forms of control exerted by the perpetrator include financial, leaving the victim little to no access to money.
Michigan Senate Bills 611 and 612 have been approved by the Senate and would provide service of the PPO within 72 hours at no charge to the petitioner. The PPO would designate a law enforcement agency located within the respondent’s jurisdiction as responsible for serving the order on the respondent. However, the petitioner could use another police agency or competent adult (not a party) to serve the respondent, if desired. The costs associated with law enforcement serving the PPO would come from the Personal Protection Order Service Fund, which has already secured $1 million as part of the 2026 state budget.
The tragic death of Latricia Green, who was killed in August 2025 by her ex-husband, stresses the importance of this legislation. While she had an outstanding PPO against him, it had not been served at the time of her death. Forty-three states already provide free service of PPOs, leaving Michigan in a very small minority. This legislation recognizes that money should not dictate a person’s safety.
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Marie Matyjaszek is a judicial attorney at the Washtenaw County Trial Court; however, the views expressed in this column are her own. She can be reached by emailing her at matyjasz@hotmail.com.
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