Domestic violence comes in many forms between people who share an intimate relationship. It encompasses physical violence, sexual violence, and emotional violence.
What Can a Domestic Violence Restraining Order Do?
Domestic violence restraining orders only cover specific relationships:
- Someone you are or were married to
- Someone you dated or a domestic partner
- A close relative, such as a child, parent, sibling, grandparent, or in-law
If granted, a restraining order could do the following, depending on your specific circumstances:
- Prevent the person in question from contacting you
- Prevent the person in question from harassing, threatening, stalking, or harming those protected by the order
- Order that the person whom you have the restraining order against keeps a specified amount of distance from you
- Order that the person whom you have the restraining order against move out of your shared home
- Prevent the person in question from keeping guns, ammunition, or firearms
- Order the person to pay spousal support (if you are married)
- Order the person to pay child support (if you share children together)