Domestic Violence Evidence Checklist: Free PDF With Safety Notes First

A domestic violence evidence checklist PDF gives you one page to work from when everything else feels scattered. Maybe you're preparing for a protective order hearing, getting ready for a custody case, or just starting to write things down. Either way, it's hard to think clearly about evidence when you're also trying to stay safe.

This guide explains what our free checklist is for, how to fill it in section by section, what a completed one looks like, and the mistakes that can hurt you. Safety notes come first, because no piece of evidence is worth putting yourself in danger to get.

Before you download: safety notes

If you're in danger right now, call 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233, by text (send START to 88788), or by chat at thehotline.org. Local domestic violence advocates can help with safety plans, protective orders and gathering evidence, usually for free. If your phone, computer or accounts might be monitored, read this and download the checklist on a safer device, such as a library computer or a trusted friend's phone.

• Think about where the file lands. Downloads usually appear in a Downloads folder and a browser's download list on that device.
• Consider printing it elsewhere. A library or a friend's printer keeps the file off your shared devices.
• Store it where the abuser won't look. With a trusted person, at work, or with your advocate's guidance.
• You don't need everything. Your own testimony is evidence. The checklist helps you support it, not replace it.

What is a domestic violence evidence checklist PDF for?

The checklist helps you see, at a glance, what evidence exists, what you already have, what you still need to request, and where each item is safely kept. It's useful for:

• Preparing a protective order petition and hearing.
• Getting ready for a custody or divorce case where abuse is an issue.
• Meeting with an advocate, legal aid office or attorney for the first time.
• Making a police report or following up on one.

Download it below in PDF or Word. The Word version can be edited, but keep it off any device the abuser can access.

How do you fill in the checklist, section by section?

Each section lists types of evidence. For every item you have or could get, fill in four things: the date of the event, whether you have it (yes, no or requested), where it's stored, and any notes. Here's what goes in each section.

1. Safety and storage

Write down where your evidence is kept and who holds copies. Use vague wording if someone might find the checklist, such as “with A.” instead of a full name and address.

2. Your own account

List the incidents you remember, most recent first, with dates or approximate dates. If you keep a separate log, note where it is. Our guide to gathering evidence of abuse safely explains how to write log entries that hold up.

3. Photos and video

Injuries, photographed soon after and again over the following days, with at least one photo showing your face. Damaged property, such as broken doors, phones or walls. Take a wide shot that shows where the injury or damage is, then a close-up, and include a coin or ruler for scale if you can. Note who took each photo, on what device, and when.

4. Messages and digital evidence

Threatening or abusive texts, emails, voicemails, direct messages and social media posts sent to you. Capture the sender's name or number and the date, and include the messages around the key one for context. If you can export a full conversation from your phone, do that too, because an export shows the whole thread rather than selected screenshots.

5. Official records

Police reports and report numbers, 911 call dates, medical and emergency room records, prior protective orders, and any criminal case numbers. Mark each one “requested” with the date you asked, so you know when to follow up.

6. Witnesses

People who saw or heard incidents, saw injuries, or whom you told soon afterward. Note what each one knows firsthand, how to reach them, and whether they're willing to speak to a court. Only list people you trust not to tell the abuser.

7. Children

Incidents the children saw or heard, and any school, pediatric or counseling records that reflect their experience. Don't question your children to gather evidence; let professionals talk with them.

8. Financial and other abuse

Records of money being controlled or taken, threats to pets, damage to your car, or weapons that were mentioned or used.

What does a filled-in checklist look like?

A completed section doesn't need to be long. Short, clear entries are easiest to work with:

Notice that each entry tells you what to do next. That turns the checklist into a to-do list you can work through one item at a time.

Which items tend to matter most?

No one can predict how a judge will weigh evidence, and every case is different. In general, though, these kinds of evidence tend to be especially helpful:

• Recent incidents, especially the one that led you to seek help.
• Records made at the time by neutral people, such as police reports, medical records and 911 calls.
• The abuser's own words, such as threats in texts, emails or voicemails.
• Photos taken soon after an incident, with dates.
• A consistent, specific account, in your testimony and your log.

For help preparing these for a hearing, see our guides on evidence for a protective order hearing and proving domestic violence in family court. Rules about evidence vary by state, so consider talking with a licensed attorney or legal aid office where you live.

What mistakes should you avoid?

• Editing originals. Don't crop, filter or annotate the original photo or screenshot. Make a copy if you need to mark something.
• Keeping everything on a shared device. Photos can sync to shared cloud accounts automatically.
• Exaggerating. Accuracy builds credibility. If you're unsure of a date, say so.
• Bringing only originals to court. Bring organized copies and keep your originals safe.
• Waiting to request records. Some recordings and records aren't kept forever.
• Posting about it online. Social media posts about the abuse or the case can tip off the abuser and may be used by the other side in court. Share with your advocate or attorney instead.
• Telling people who might pass it on. Mutual friends and relatives may repeat what you say, even with good intentions.

From checklist to court-ready file

Once your checklist is filled in, the next job is turning a pile of photos, screenshots and records into numbered exhibits with an index. By hand, that usually means printing everything, writing exhibit numbers on each page, building an index table in a word processor and redoing it whenever something new comes in. Evidence Helper does that part for you: you add items, set the date each one happened and tag it, and it exports an exhibit-numbered PDF with an evidence index. Your records stay private until you choose to share them with a named person, with two-factor sign-in, a one-click sign-out of every device, and originals preserved with a SHA-256 fingerprint. Only use it if having a private account is safe for you. Learn more about how the evidence tool works.

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