What’s New on WomensLaw.org

On our Oklahoma Restraining Orders page, we revised the definition of “rape” in the following two questions based on 2024 legislative changes to reflect the fact that the law no longer distinguishes between rape committed by a spouse or a non-spouse:

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

These changes were made in English; Spanish coming soon!

To prepare our Nebraska Harassment Protections Orders section to be translated into Spanish, we revised 11 questions for clarity and accuracy. We also created a new question called Can a harassment order be renewed?

In our Washington Stalking Protection Orders section, we translated into Spanish recent updates made to the following questions:

• What types of stalking protection orders are there? How long do they last?
• In which county can I file for a stalking protection order?
• What protections can I get in a stalking protection order?
• If the abuser lives in a different state, can I still get an order against him/her?
• How much does it cost? Do I need a lawyer?
• What should I do when I leave the courthouse?
• What if the abuser violates the order?
• Can I file a motion to change or terminate my stalking protection order?
• Can the abuser file a motion to change or terminate my protection order?
• What factors will a judge consider when deciding whether or not to terminate my full protection order?
• How do I extend my protection order?
• What happens if I move?

We revised the question I took my kids away from the other parent due to danger but I worry that I may be charged with custodial interference. What can I do? in our Vermont Parental Kidnapping section.

We revised If I take my children to live out of state or hide them from the other parent, can I be charged with parental kidnapping? and If I think that the other parent may kidnap my child, can the court help me? in our California Parental Kidnapping section. Spanish coming soon.

We translated into Spanish the recently created California Workplace Violence Restraining Orders section with nine new questions.

We translated into Spanish the recently added Litigation Abuse page in California and the recently added question “Is there anything I can do if my abusive partner continually files court proceedings against me?” in our Restraining Order, Custody, and Divorce pages.

We created a new Northern Mariana Islands Download Court Forms page in English and Spanish.

For the Northern Mariana Islands, we created a new Divorce section with five new questions. This is our first legal information section we created for the NMI!

In our Maryland Parental Kidnapping section we revised What can the court do if the other parent denies or interferes with my visitation or custody rights? and If I think that the other parent may kidnap my child, is there anything I can do? We also created the question If I just fled to Maryland with my child, can I get temporary emergency custody? Spanish coming soon!

We revised the question If I think that the other parent may kidnap my child, is there anything I can do? in our Nevada Parental Kidnapping section. Spanish coming soon!

We revised 26 questions on our Domestic Violence in the Military page; Spanish coming soon. We also added two related statutes to our Selected Federal Statutes page.

We revised three questions in our Oklahoma Parental Kidnapping section. Spanish coming soon!

• If the other parent takes my child out of state without my permission, can s/he be charged with kidnapping?
• Can I get temporary custody as part of a protective order against the other parent?
• Can I get temporary emergency custody without a protective order?

We revised eight questions on our general Parental Kidnapping page. Spanish coming soon!

In our Nebraska Divorce section, we revised all six questions to make the text clearer and up-to-date in order to prepare this section for translation into Spanish. To name a few specific changes, we:

• Revised What are the residency requirements for divorce in Nebraska? to clarify that members of the armed forces who are stationed in Nebraska can file for divorce after living there for one year without having to prove the intention of making Nebraska their “permanent home;” and
• Revised Where can I find additional information about divorce laws in Nebraska? to insert updated links to the Nebraska Judicial Branch website.

We also created a new question called If my spouse and I both want a divorce, does there still need to be a court hearing?

On our New Mexico Restraining Orders page, we updated the question What protections can I get in a protection order? to link to updated versions of the New Mexico temporary order of protection and order of protection forms, and also revised the list of relief available to a petitioner based on those updated forms. Changes made in English; Spanish coming soon!

With the help of ASISTA, we revised 11 questions on our Asylum page. Spanish coming soon!

With the help of ASISTA, we revised five questions on our Refugee Status page. Spanish coming soon!

We updated the contact information for a resource on our Virginia Lawyer Referral Services page.

We updated the contact information for a resource on our New York Lawyer Referral Services page.

We updated the contact information for a resource on our Minnesota Statewide Legal Assistance page.

We updated the contact information for a resource on our Hawaii Lawyer Referral Services page.

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

We updated the contact information for a resource in the Mental Health/Addiction section and for a resource in the Lawyer Referral/Legal Information section of our National Organizations page.

On our Mississippi Divorce page, we updated links to the Mississippi Bar’s resources in the question Where can I find additional information about divorce in Mississippi?

We updated two resources and added one resource to our Virginia Local Programs page, and updated one resource on our Legal Assistance page. All changes made in English and Spanish.

On our Texas Download Court Forms and Family Violence Protective Orders pages we updated links to protective order forms and toolkits, which were standardized and published in 2024 based on 2023 legislative changes.

We updated the website URL and description for the New York State Bar Legal Referral Service on our New York Lawyer Referral Services page in English and Spanish.

We added one statute related to sexual offenses to our Selected West Virginia Statutes page.  

We updated two resources on our District of Columbia Lawyer Referral Services page in English and Spanish.

We created a new question in our Arizona Injunctions Against Harassment page called Who can get an injunction against harassment? in English and Spanish.

We updated 15 resources and added four resources to our District of Columbia Advocates and Shelters page in English and Spanish.

To prepare our Idaho Custody section to be translated into Spanish, we revised 16 questions for clarity and accuracy.

On our West Virginia Restraining Orders page, we added a new section titled Enforcing your Canadian protective order in West Virginia based on the brand new 2024 law allowing victims with a protective order from Canada to enforce and register their order within West Virginia. This section includes the following five questions:

• I have a domestic violence protective order that was issued in Canada. Can my order be enforced against the abuser in West Virginia?
• What types of Canadian orders qualify for enforcement in West Virginia?
• What happen if the abuser files in court to challenge my Canadian order?
• Can my Canadian order protect me in West Virginia if it was never served on the abuser?
• Am I required to register my Canadian protective order in West Virginia to enforce it?

We also added five related statutes to our Selected West Virginia Statutes page.

We revised 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. Spanish coming soon.

We added the new topic Abuse Among People with Disabilities to our Abuse in Specific Communities page, which includes the following eight new questions that explain forms of abuse that are unique to individuals with disabilities. Spanish coming soon!

• What is a disability?
• How common is it for a person with a disability to be abused by an intimate partner?
• What forms of abuse are unique to individuals with disabilities?
• What can I do if I am being abused and have a disability?
• What challenges can I face when reporting abuse?
• What are some unique barriers that I may face when trying to find help?
• Can I get a restraining order against the abuser?
• Where can I find additional resources?

We translated into Spanish 12 recently revised questions and 6 newly added questions in our Wisconsin Restraining Orders page and 2 recently revised questions in our Wisconsin Domestic Abuse Injunctions section.

We translated into Spanish a newly created Litigation Abuse page.

We translated into Spanish a newly added Litigation Abuse page in Tennessee and a recent revision to “Is there anything I can do if my abusive partner continually files court proceedings against me?” in our Tennessee Restraining Orders, Custody, and Divorce pages.

In our Washington Moving to Another State with your Domestic Violence Protection Order section, we translated into Spanish recent updates made to the following questions:

• I have an ex parte temporary order. Can it be enforced in another state?
• Do I need anything special to get my domestic violence protection order enforced in another state?
• Can I get someone to help me? Do I need a lawyer?

In our Washington Enforcing your Out-Of-State Order in Washington section, we translated into Spanish recent updates made to the following questions:

• Can I have my out-of-state protection order changed, extended, or canceled in Washington?
• How do I register my protection order in Washington?

On our California Housing Laws section, we translated into Spanish the newly created question What can I do if the landlord doesn’t follow this law? and recent updates made to the question Can a landlord refuse to renew my lease or evict me because I am a victim? 

On our California Civil Harassment Orders section, we translated into Spanish recent updates made to the question Will the harasser be notified that I am trying to get a civil harassment order against him/her? 

 On our California Custody section, we translated into Spanish recent updates made to the questions How will a judge make a decision about custody? and Can a parent who committed violence get visitation? 

On our California Domestic Violence Restraining Orders section, we translated into Spanish recent updates made to Step 4 - Service of process

On our California Gun Violence Restraining Orders section, we translated into Spanish recent updates made to the questions Who can file for a gun violence restraining order? and What types of gun violence restraining orders are there? How long do they last?

• On our Pennsylvania Custody section, we translated into Spanish the newly added question I have a custody order. Can I move with my child? and recent updates made to the following questions:
  • How do I tell the other parent I want to move? 
  • If the other parent objects to the move, what happens? 
  • What factors will the judge consider when deciding if I can move with my child? 
  • What could happen if I don’t give proper notice to the other parent? 
  • What are the steps to file for custody? 

We updated a resource, the Elizabeth Buffum Chace Center, on our Rhode Island Local Programs and Statewide Programs pages in English and Spanish.

We updated 28 resources and added one new resource on our New Jersey Legal Assistance page in English and Spanish.

We added a new resource, the Essex County Family Justice Center, to our New Jersey Local Programs page in English and Spanish.

We translated into Spanish recent changes made on our Massachusetts Child Support page and the recently added questions Can I modify my child support order? and Where can I find help to enforce my child support order?

We updated 19 resources on our New Jersey Lawyer Referral Services page in English and Spanish.

We created a new California Workplace Violence Restraining Orders section with nine new questions in English. Spanish coming soon!

To prepare our Nebraska Sexual Assault Protection Orders section to be translated into Spanish, we revised 10 questions for clarity and accuracy.

We updated the resource 603 Legal Aid on our New Hampshire Legal Assistance page in English and Spanish.

To prepare our Nebraska Domestic Violence Protection Orders section to be translated into Spanish, we revised 14 questions for clarity and accuracy.

On our Nebraska Custody section, we translated into Spanish the following three new questions:

• What are some pros and cons of filing for custody?
• What are the steps to file for custody?
• Do I need a lawyer?

We added a Litigation Abuse page in Tennessee that includes the following six new questions based on the law that allows someone dealing with an abusive civil action to request that pre-filing restrictions be put on the plaintiff:

• What is the definition of an abusive civil action in Tennessee?
• How can I raise a claim that an abusive civil action has been filed?
• How do I prove the abuser has filed an abusive civil action?
• What can a judge do after deciding that a court case is an abusive civil action?
• What happens if an abusive civil plaintiff files new court papers?
• The judge determined that the case against me is not an abusive civil action. What will happen next?

We revised the question “Is there anything I can do if my abusive partner continually files court proceedings against me?” on our Restraining Orders, Custody, and Divorce pages to direct users to this new section.

We also added five related statutes to our Selected Tennessee Statutes page.

In our Preparing for Court - By Yourself section, we added the question Do I need a subpoena for potential witnesses to testify? to our Before the Trial sub-section in English and Spanish.

On our Nebraska Download Court Forms page, we added links to the Nebraska Judicial Branch website’s forms for harassment protection orders, sexual assault protection orders, divorce, and child support. 

We did the following in our District of Columbia Divorce section:

• Based on 2024 legislative changes, we revised the following questions in Spanish and English:
  • What are the grounds for divorce in D.C.? to remove the requirement that spouses live separate and apart for six months, and to explain that now, the only “requirement” is that either spouse claims that they no longer want to be married; and
  • Can I get alimony? to include that the judge will now specifically consider history of physical, emotional, or financial abuse by one spouse against the other when deciding alimony;
• Created a new question called What factors will a judge consider when dividing marital property and debts? Spanish coming soon.

We also added a related statute to our Selected District of Columbia Statutes page.

We updated 15 resources on our Missouri Legal Assistance page in English and Spanish.

We updated the resource Forest County Potawatomi Community Advocate Program on our Wisconsin Local Programs page in English and Spanish.

Based on 2024 legislative changes, we did the following in our Michigan State Gun Laws page in English and Spanish:

• Revised these three questions in our to add the fact a person cannot get a license to carry concealed pistol if s/he has an extreme risk protection ordered issued against him/her:
  • I am a victim of domestic violence and the abuser has a gun. Is that legal?
  • I have a PPO against the abuser. Can s/he keep a gun or buy a new gun?
  • I do not have a PPO against the abuser, and s/he has not been convicted of any crime. Can s/he have a gun?
• Revised What is the definition of a felony? to note the change in the definition of a felony from a crime punishable “by imprisonment for 4 years or more” to “imprisonment for more than one year.”
• Revised these two questions in English, with Spanish coming soon, to explain that a person who was convicted of a misdemeanor involving domestic violence cannot lawfully have a firearm until eight years have passed since s/he paid all fines imposed for the violation, served all terms of imprisonment imposed for the violation, and successfully completed all conditions of probation imposed for the violation:
  • 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 Illinois Crimes page, we updated the link to the Crime Victim Compensation Application in Spanish in the question Si yo soy víctima de un crimen, ¿dónde puedo encontrar más ayuda e información en Illinois?

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

We updated the contact information for a resource on our Legal Assistance page and for two resources on our Courthouse Locations page for Missouri.

We updated the contact information for a resource on our Louisiana Courthouse Locations page.

We updated the link to the National Partnership for Women and Families’ Know Your Rights Manual in the question What can I do to be free of sexual harassment? in our Abuse in Specific Communities - In the Workplace section.

We updated the link to the National Crime Victim Bar Association in the question What types of laws protect me from computer crimes? on our Abuse Using Technology page.

We updated the contact information for three resources on our Local Programs page and for one resource on our Courthouse Locations page for Georgia.

We updated the contact information for a resource on our Colorado Courthouse Locations page.

We updated the contact information for four resources on our Arkansas Courthouse Locations page.

We added a new statute from California’s Civil Code called “Sexual battery; damages; equitable relief” to our Selected California Statutes page.

On our Texas Restraining Orders page, we revised the following questions based on 2023 legislative changes allowing a judge to order an abuser not to track or monitor the victim or the victim’s motor vehicle:

• What protections can I get in a protective order?
• Can I keep my personal information confidential?
• What protections can I get in a protective order for sexual assault, sexual abuse, indecent assault, stalking, or trafficking?

We revised What is a temporary ex parte order? How long does it last? And How long does a permanent (final) protective order last? based on 2023 legislative changes requiring a judge to include an expiration date on a protective order.

We revised Step 1: Go to the district attorney’s office or the courthouse to file. And Step 2: Fill out the forms. based on 2023 changes requiring that people filing for a protective order use a standardized form that will be developed by the Office of Court Administration.

We revised Step 5: The hearing for a permanent protective order based on 2023 legislative changes removing the requirement that a judge decide whether an abuser is likely to commit family violence in the future, so that the judge is only deciding whether the abuser committed family violence already.

We revised Do I need to tell the court in Texas if I move? based on 2023 legislative changes adding additional parties who may receive a copy of the petitioner’s change of address form if they move.

Finally, we also revised the following questions on our Restraining Orders page to improve accessibility and readability for our users:

• Can a minor file for a protective order?
• What should I do when I leave the courthouse?
• What can I do if the abuser violates the order?
• What happens if I move?
• What is the definition of stalking?
• What types of protective orders are available? How long do they last?
• What can I do if the abuser violates the order?

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

We created a new Utah Housing Laws page including the following six new questions in English. Spanish coming soon!

• Can I end my rental agreement (lease) early because of domestic violence?
• Can I still end my lease early due to domestic violence if my rent is late or there is damage to my home?
• How long do I have to move out? Do I have to pay any fees?
• Instead of ending my lease, can I ask my landlord to change my locks?
• If I need to call a public safety agency for help, can I get in trouble with my landlord?
• I had to leave some of my things behind when I moved. How long does my landlord have to keep my property for me?

We also added three related statutes on our Selected Utah Statutes page.

We revised the question, Where can I find additional information about divorce in Indiana?, in our Indiana Divorce section to include the current links for Indiana Legal Services’ and Indiana Legal Help’s divorce pages with state-specific divorce information and resources. Changes made in English and Spanish.