Oxnard Restraining Order Lawyer

Help Filing a Protection from Abuse and Restraining Order in California

Many states offer “protective orders” or “protection from abuse” orders to help victims of harassment, stalking, or physical abuse stay safe. California’s restraining orders are issued by a court to put legal force and consequences behind a demand so that any further issues or violations can lead to fines and jail time. California has different varieties of restraining orders you can request. The first way these orders are categorized is by who they affect. This creates four categories of restraining order:

• Domestic Violence Restraining Orders – these are used to protect spouses, boyfriends, girlfriends, and other romantic partners or family members from physical violence and harassment.
• Elder or Dependent Adult Abuse Restraining Orders – these are intended to protect elderly family members or adults with mental health issues from abuse by their caregivers.
• Civil Harassment Restraining Orders – these protect individuals from harassment by people other than romantic partners, like repeated phone calls, doxing, and other harmful harassment.
• Workplace Violence Restraining Orders – these allow employers to file to protect their employees from harassment or violence at their place of work.

Protective orders may also be classified based on the terms of the order and what it does to protect the petitioner.

• Personal conduct orders – these dictate what the restrained person can and cannot do while the order is in effect, such as no calling or texting the petitioner, no striking the petition, and no harassing the petitioner.
• Stay-away orders – these stop a person from coming within a certain distance of the petitioner’s home, school, workplace, or another location.
• Residence exclusion orders – these orders kick someone out of their house temporarily until the court can have a hearing to determine further restraining order terms.

Many restraining orders take effect immediately, but they work for only a limited amount of time. A temporary restraining order can be converted to a permanent restraining order in some cases, but you must go to court and have a hearing with the target of the order present. Many restraining orders against domestic violence can come with additional opportunities, such as the ability to file for temporary spousal support. Talk to a family law attorney to see if you are entitled to support payments while your restraining order is active.