Family protective orders can provide important protections anyone impacted by family violence. For those seeking one, they should be familiar with what can be addressed in a family protective order.
What can be addressed in a family protective order?
Provisions that a family protective order may include can be:
- Provisions prohibiting abuse, harassment, stalking, threatening or intimidating the other party or minor children or placing them in reasonable fear of bodily injury;
- Provisions prohibiting contact with the other party;
- Provisions requiring the party addressed in the family protective order to move out of a shared home;
- Provisions prohibiting the party addressed by the family protective order from entering the school or workplace of the other party or their household or the household of a family member;
- Provisions requiring the party addressed by the family protective order to attend an intervention program;
- Addressing temporary child custody, visitation and support;
- Addressing temporary spousal support;
- Prohibiting the party addressed in the family protective order from possessing a gun or ammunition;
- Addressing reimbursement for reasonable expenses incurred because of the abuse; and
- Awarding pet or animal custody and prohibiting abuse of an animal or pet.
A party can apply for themselves or an adult family member or household member can apply on behalf of a minor child or a person who is physically or mentally incapacitated and unable to apply for themselves. A party can also apply on behalf of a witness to family violence who has suffered abuse or been threatened for reporting the abuse. Family protective orders are an important resource to help families impacted by family violence which is why they should understand what can be included in a family protective order.
