What’s New on WomensLaw.org

In our Washington, D.C. Extreme Risk Protection Orders section, we translated into Spanish recent revisions to three questions:

• What types of orders are there? How long do they last?
• Who can file for an extreme risk protection order?
• Can I renew an extreme risk protection order?

On our Washington, D.C. Gun Laws page, we translated into Spanish recent revisions to two questions:

• I am a victim of domestic violence and the abuser has a gun. Is that legal?
• If the abuser has been convicted of a crime, can s/he keep or buy a gun

On our Alabama State Gun Laws page, we translated into Spanish recent revisions to I have a protection from abuse (PFA) order against the abuser. Can s/he have a gun?

We translated into Spanish the following legal information sections for Nebraska:

• Divorce
• Crimes
• Suing an Abuser for Money
• Court Forms
• Sexual Assault Protection Orders
• Moving to Another State with a Nebraska Restraining Order
• Enforcing an Out-of-State Order in Nebraska

In our U.S. Virgin Islands Places that Help section, we updated three Local Programs resources, two Legal Assistance resources, and one Lawyer Referral Services resource. All updates made in English and Spanish.

We restructured the Crimes page for Kentucky by creating a chart that lists the crime names on one side and the statute numbers on the order side. Now, users can sort crimes alphabetically, making it easier to find crimes by name, or they can sort them according to how they appear in the statutes.

We restructured the Crimes page for Iowa by creating a chart that lists the crime names on one side and the statute numbers on the order side. Now, users can sort crimes alphabetically, making it easier to find crimes by name, or they can sort them according to how they appear in the statutes.

On our general Parental Kidnapping page we created the question If I get temporary emergency custody in a state where I have just arrived, how long will the custody order last? Spanish coming soon.

We also revised three questions to improve readability for our users, in English and Spanish.

We translated into Spanish recent revisions to the following six questions on our Connecticut State Gun Laws page:

• I am a victim of domestic violence and the abuser has a gun. Is that illegal?
• I have a temporary restraining order against the abuser. Is it illegal for the abuser to have a gun?
• I have a final restraining order against the abuser. Is it illegal for him/her to have a firearm?
• If the abuser was convicted of a crime, is it illegal to have a gun?
• If the abuser’s gun is taken away, what will happen to it?
• I do not have a protection order and the abuser has not been convicted of a crime. Are there any other reasons why it’d be illegal for the abuser to have a gun in Connecticut?

We translated into Spanish recent revisions to the following questions on our Oklahoma Restraining Orders page:

• What is the legal definition of rape in Oklahoma?
• What is the legal definition of rape and a “sex offense”?

We translated into Spanish the newly added question When a child is born to unmarried parents, who has custody? in our Arkansas Custody section. We also translated into Spanish recent revisions to two questions in our Arkansas Parental Kidnapping section, Can I get temporary custody in an order of protection if I am worried the abuser might kidnap the child? and How can I keep the other parent from taking my children out of the country?

We translated into Spanish recent revisions to eight questions on our general Parental Kidnapping page.

We translated into Spanish recent revisions to 19 questions on our VAWA for Abuse Victims page.

We translated into Spanish the recent revisions to two questions in our California Parental Kidnapping section:

• If I take my children to live out of state or hide them from the other parent, can I be charged with parental kidnapping?
• If I think that the other parent may kidnap my child, can the court help me?

We translated into Spanish the recent revisions to two question in our New York Parental Kidnapping section:

• Can I get temporary custody as a part of an order of protection against the other parent?
• Can I get temporary emergency custody as part of a custody petition?

We translated into Spanish recent changes to five questions in our Refugee Status section:

• Am I eligible for refugee status? Where would I apply?
• What are “grounds of inadmissibility”?
• What are the benefits of having refugee status?
• How can my family members benefit from my refugee status?
• How can I apply for lawful permanent residence once I am a refugee?

We translated into Spanish our Louisiana Custody page.

In our Idaho Places that Help section, we translated into Spanish nine resources on our Legal Assistance page, one resource on our Lawyer Referral Services page, 41 resources on our Local Programs page, and three resources on our Statewide Programs page.

We revised our Nebraska Suing an Abuser for Money page to reflect the following:

• the limit for small claims court increased to $6,000 and will further increase to $7,500 on 7/1/25, based on 2024 legislative changes; and
• lawyers are not allowed to represent people in small claims court.

We also added two related statutes to our Selected Nebraska Statutes page.

We restructured the Crimes page for Idaho by creating a chart that lists the crime names on one side and the statute numbers on the order side. Now, users can sort crimes alphabetically, making it easier to find crimes by name, or they can sort them according to how they appear in the statutes.

We added two locations of the Korean Community Service Center of Greater Washington to our Virginia Local Programs page in English and Spanish.

On our New York Lawyer Referral Services page we added the Legal Referral and Information Service of the Asian American Bar Association of New York, in English and Spanish.

We added a resource, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, to our Georgia Legal Assistance page in English and Spanish.

We added a resource, the Hispanic National Bar Association’s National Lawyer Referral Service, to our National Organizations - Lawyer Referral/Legal Information page in English and Spanish.

We restructured the Crimes page for Connecticut by creating a chart that lists the crime names on one side and the statute numbers on the order side. Now, users can sort crimes alphabetically, making it easier to find crimes by name, or they can sort them according to how they appear in the statutes. Changes made in English and Spanish.

Based on 2024 legislative changes, we did the following in English; Spanish coming soon:

• Revised What protections can I get in an injunction for protection against domestic violence? in our Florida Restraining Orders section to add that the judge can order the exchange of the child to be at a supervised visitation program or in the parking lot at the sheriff’s office that has video surveillance, known as a “neutral safe exchange location;” and
• Revised What is a parenting plan? in our Florida Custody section to explain why a judge could order the exchange of the child to be at a supervised visitation program or in the parking lot at the sheriff’s office that has video surveillance, known as a “neutral safe exchange location,” as part of a parenting plan.

We also added a related statute to our Selected Florida Statutes page.

We restructured the Crimes page for California by creating a chart that lists the crime names on one side and the statute numbers on the order side. Now, users can sort crimes alphabetically, making it easier to find crimes by name, or they can sort them according to how they appear in the statutes. Changes made in English and Spanish.

Based on 2024 legislative changes, We revised our New York Suing an Abuser for Money page to include the fact that the right to sue based on dissemination of an intimate image now includes an image created or altered by digitization. Spanish coming soon.

In our Alabama Gun Laws section, we revised I have a protection from abuse (PFA) order against the abuser. Can s/he have a gun? to define what a “valid protection order” means as it relates to illegal firearm possession. Spanish coming soon.

We translated into Spanish the following Quick Guides:

• Remote Hearings
• Criminal Process
• Immigration Options for Victims of Abuse

We created two new questions related to moving with a restraining order in our Nebraska Restraining Orders section:

• Do I need to tell the court in Nebraska if I move?
• How do I register my protection order in Nebraska?

We translated into Spanish changes made in the following Maine pages:

• Revisions on the Suing an Abuser for Money page.
• On the Custody page:
  
  • Revisions to the question If my child was conceived from a sexual assault, can the offender’s rights be terminated?
  • The new question If my child was conceived due to nonconsensual removal of a condom, can the offender get parental rights?

• On the Protection From Abuse Orders page, revisions to the question What is the legal definition of abuse in Maine?

We added information about the Humane Society and their list of financial assistance resources for pet owners to our Pet Safety national organizations. Changes made in English and Spanish.

Based on 2024 legislative changes, we added the newly-passed crime called ”disclosing explicit synthetic media” to our Idaho Crimes page and Selected Idaho Statutes page.

We added three statutes related to housing laws and custody to our Selected New Jersey Statutes page.

We restructured the Crimes page for Arizona by creating a chart that lists the crime names on one side and the statute numbers on the order side. Now, users can sort crimes alphabetically, making it easier to find crimes by name, or they can sort them according to how they appear in the statutes. Changes made in English and Spanish.

On our Safety Planning page we re-worked the titles and the order of the sub-sections to make it easier to navigate the topics.

On our Kentucky Restraining Orders page, we updated What protections can I get in an emergency protective order and a domestic violence order? based on 2024 legislative changes that clarified that restrictions on the parties allowing them to be near each other in public under certain circumstances must be understood to be restrictions only on the respondent, not on the petitioner.

On our Kentucky Crimes page we removed the crime “Criminal Mischief in the 3^rd Degree” because it has been repealed.

In our Georgia Dating Violence Protective Orders section, we added the question What can I do if the abuser violates the order? based on 2024 legislative changes adding dating orders to the statute about how violations are handled.

In our Georgia Stalking Protective Orders section, we updated What types of stalking protective orders are there and how long do they last? based on 2024 legislative changes clarifying when a judge may issue mutual orders.

On our Georgia Child Support page, we updated:

• How much child support will I get? based on 2024 legislative changes that re-numbered the statute section; and
• How long does child support last? based on 2024 legislative changes that created guidelines for how support can be ordered for a dependent adult child.

All of the above changes made in English; Spanish coming soon!

On our Georgia Crimes page, we did the following in English and Spanish:

• fixed the name of “aggravated assault” to make it clearer that it is a separate crime from simple assault; and
• added “aggravated battery” and “unlawful squatting” to the list of crimes.

We also added three related statutes to our Selected Georgia Statutes page.

With the help of ASISTA, we revised 29 questions and added five new questions on our T Visa for Trafficking Victims page. Spanish coming soon!

We translated into Spanish our recent revision of three questions in our Oklahoma Parental Kidnapping section.

We created the following four new questions on our Wyoming Parental Kidnapping page with information on the state’s newly enacted abduction prevention orders. We also added four related statutes to our Selected Wyoming Statutes page.

• I am afraid the other parent will take our child out of the state or country. What can I do?
• How could an abduction prevention order help me?
• How long does an abduction prevention order last?
• What will a judge consider when deciding whether to grant an abduction prevention order?

We translated into Spanish the recent changes to 23 questions on our U Visa for Crime Victims page. 

On our Iowa Restraining Orders page, we updated What is the legal definition of domestic abuse in Iowa? based on 2024 legislative changes that added pointing a laser at an aircraft to the definition of assault.

On our Iowa Crimes page, we added the newly created crime “assault committed by a person against whom a protective order is issued.” We also added one related statute to our Selected Iowa Statutes page.

We updated 27 resources and added 28 new resources to our Oklahoma Local Programs page in English and Spanish.

We updated the contact information for a resource on our Ohio Local Programs page.

We updated the contact information for a resource on our Maine Local Programs page.

We updated the contact information for a resource on our Indiana Local Programs page.

On our About Abuse Helping Others – Advocates page we updated the links to two resources: the National Center for Domestic Violence’s publications page and its power and control wheels page.

We restructured the Crimes page for South Dakota by creating a chart that lists the crime names on one side and the statute numbers on the other side. Now, users can sort crimes alphabetically, making it easier to find crimes by name, or they can sort them according to how they appear in the statutes.

We restructured our Alaska the Crimes page by creating a chart that lists the crime names on one side and the statute numbers on the other side. Now, users can sort crimes alphabetically, making it easier to find crimes by name, or they can sort them according to how they appear in the statutes.

We translated into Spanish changes made in the following Connecticut pages:

• On the State Gun Laws page, the questions:
  • I am a victim of domestic violence and the abuser has a gun. Is that legal?
  • I do not have a restraining order against the abuser and s/he has not been convicted of a crime. Can s/he have a gun?
• On the Crimes page, we translated six (6) new crimes.
• Small changes on the Suing an Abuser for Money page.

In our Florida Custody section, we translated into Spanish the question Can a parent who committed violence get custody (parental responsibility) or visitation (time-sharing)?

In Indiana, we translated into Spanish the changes to the question What protections can I get in an order for protection?  

We translated into Spanish the following Alabama pages:

• Divorce
• Crimes
• State Gun Laws
• Suing an Abuser for Money

We also translated into Spanish the Selected Alabama Statutes page introduction to let users know that we do not have access to a Spanish version. Now the Spanish translation of the Alabama Legal Information section is complete! That makes Alabama the 35^th state to be completely translated into Spanish on our website!

On our Indiana Suing an Abuser for Money page, we updated the link about the different procedures for small claims cases in Marion County in English and Spanish. 

We created the following three Quick Guides in English and Korean: 1) to help survivors understand the criminal process; 2) to explain immigration options for victims of domestic violence, trafficking, and other crimes; and 3) to explain virtual hearings. The first two were created through our collaboration with the Korean American Family Services (KFAM) organization. In addition, KFAM reviewed the Korean translation of the third Quick Guide for cultural and linguistic accuracy. Spanish translation for all three Quick Guides coming soon!

We translated into English recently revised information that was first added in Spanish on the Puerto Rico Orders of Protection in Favor of a Minor, six recently added crimes on our Puerto Rico Crimes page, and recent updates to our information on the Puerto Rico Protection Orders for Domestic Violence page.

In our Illinois Workplace Protections page, we translated into Spanish recent revisions to the newly created question How many days can I take off from work? and recent revisions to the questions What actions, specifically, can I use my time off from work to do? and How much advance notice do I need to give my employer to take time off from work? And what proof do I need to provide? 

We translated into Spanish a recent revision to the question Can I get an order of protection? in our New York Orders of Protection page to more clearly explain the relationships that could qualify someone for an order.

On our Elder Abuse page, we translated into Spanish the recently added question What can I do to protect myself against older adult abuse?, recent revisions to the question Who is considered an “older adult”?, and revisions made to seven other questions for clarity and accuracy.

In our District of Columbia Divorce section, we translated into Spanish the newly created question What factors will a judge consider when dividing marital property and debts? 

On our Michigan State Gun Laws page, we translated into Spanish recent revisions to I am a victim of domestic violence and the abuser has a gun. Is that legal? and If the abuser has been convicted of a crime, can s/he keep or buy a gun?

On our Washington State Gun Laws page, we translated into Spanish the following recently revised questions:

• I am a victim of domestic violence and the abuser has a gun. Is that legal?
• I have a temporary (ex parte) or preliminary protection order against the abuser. Do I have to wait until I receive a final full protection order before the abuser’s guns is are taken away?
• I have a protection order against the abuser. Can s/he keep a gun or buy a new gun?
• Is there anything I can do to make it more likely that the abuser’s gun is taken away when I get a protection order?
• What is the penalty if the abuser has a gun in violation of my protection order?
• If the abuser has been convicted of a crime, can s/he keep or buy a gun?
• If the abuser’s gun is taken away, what will happen to it?
• What is the penalty for violating state or federal firearm laws?
• I do not have a protection order against the abuser, and s/he has not been convicted of any crimes, is there anything I can do?

On our Tennessee Restraining Orders page, we updated What types of protection orders are there? How long do they last? based on 2024 legislative changes that expanded the offenses that can be the basis for a lifetime protection order.

On our Tennessee Custody page, we updated the following two questions:

• What rights do I have to my child when s/he is spending time with the other parent? based on 2024 legislative changes adding video conference as an option for one parent to keep in touch with their child when the child is with the other parent; and
• Can a parent who committed violence get custody or visitation? based on 2024 legislative changes emphasizing that a parent’s history of abusing a child’s sibling should be taken into account when making a custody decision.

All changes made in English; Spanish coming soon!

We added a new question to our Preparing for Court - By Yourself section called Do I need a subpoena to get documents from someone other than the defendant? in English and Spanish.

We updated the resource Freedom Center, formerly Safe Place, Inc., on our Texas Local Programs page in English and Spanish.

We added the resource SurvivorForum to our Chat Rooms and Message Boards page in English and Spanish.

On our Rhode Island Divorce page, we updated the links to court forms in English and Spanish in Where can I find additional information about divorce laws in Rhode Island?.

On our Rhode Island Suing an Abuser for Money page, we updated the links to the complaint and answer forms for Small Claims Court.

On our Rhode Island Litigation Abuse page, we updated the links to court forms in Are there forms available to help me request an order restricting abusive litigation?.

On our New Hampshire Restraining Orders page, we updated the links to outside resources in the following questions:

• Who can file for a stalking protective order?
• Do I need anything special to get my protective order enforced?
• How do I register my protective order in New Hampshire?
• Will the abuser be notified if I register my protective order?

On our New Hampshire Custody page, we updated the links to pamphlets from 603 Legal Aid in Where can I find additional information about custody in New Hampshire?.

On our New Hampshire Child Support page, we updated the links to outside resources in Where can I get more information on child support in New Hampshire?.

On our New Hampshire Divorce page, we updated the links to outside resources in Where can I find additional information about divorce laws in New Hampshire?.

Finally, on our New Hampshire Crimes page, we updated the link to the State Office of Victim/Witness Assistance.

On our Virginia Restraining Orders page, we updated the following questions to reflect the fact that a violation petition can now be filed where the victim lived at the time of the violation:

• What happens if the abuser violates the order?
• What happens if the abuser violates the order?

We also updated How much does it cost to get a protective order? Do I need a lawyer? to improve clarity.

On our Virginia Custody page, we updated If a custody order is already in place, how can I get it changed? to include the Air Force and Space Force as a military branches where a deployment could affect a parent’s custody.

All of these changes were made in English; Spanish coming soon!

We also updated the citations in the following questions in both English and Spanish:

• Can I get temporary custody if I have a protective order against the other parent?
• Do I have to register my protection order in Virginia to get it enforced?

Finally, we added one statute related to custody for parents in the military to our Selected Virginia Statutes page.

On our About Abuse - Abuse Using Technology page, we completely re-wrote the Evidence Issues in Cases Involving Technology and Ways Courts Use Technology sections. We created one new question and revised 14 questions in order to provide survivors with the most updated information involving the use of technology in gathering evidence and in court. All changes made in English; Spanish coming soon.