Victims of domestic violence often consider their situation hopeless. If you or a loved one is being abused by a spouse, girlfriend or boyfriend, parent, sibling, grandchild, or relative, you should know there are ways you can prevent this abuse from continuing to occur. One of the ways you can protect yourself from domestic violence is by filing for a restraining order.

Restraining orders specifically state which actions the abuser is prohibited from taking against the victim. For example, many restraining orders state the abuser is not to contact the victim at work, home, school, church, or any other place they typically frequent, and must remain a certain distance away from the victim at all times. A restraining order also prevents an abuser from making contact with the victim, whether in person, over the phone, through email, online, or via text message.  

Types of Restraining Orders

There are several different types of restraining orders, including:

• Emergency Protective Orders
• Domestic Violence Temporary Restraining Orders
• Criminal Protective Order
• Civil Harassment Order