Orders issue on a showing of abuse or credible threat between persons in a defined relationship. Relief includes no-contact provisions, residence exclusion, temporary custody, and firearms restrictions.
Violation carries criminal penalties.
Alternative Names:
Protective Order|Restraining Order (Domestic)
Why it Matters?
Collateral consequences extend well beyond the no-contact provision, including firearms prohibition under federal law, employment consequences for licensed professionals and public safety personnel, and immigration effects, which makes contesting an order consequential even where the immediate restrictions seem tolerable. Temporary custody provisions also establish a status quo that influences later custody determinations.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
What collateral consequences follow?
How do these orders affect custody?
