When to File for a Restraining Order

There are two types:

1) Domestic violence restraining orders - Family law courts issue these and no prior criminal charges are needed for one to be given. Hearings are often given shortly after filing for a restraining order. Usually these restraining orders range from around 1 to 5 years.

2) Criminal protective restraining orders - These are given when criminal charges are involved. This type of restraining order is similar to a domestic violence restraining order, but with a domestic violence restraining order there is no need for any prior criminal charges.

What is criminal law?

Criminal law, or penal law, is the bodies of rules with the potential for severe impositions as punishment for failure to comply. Criminal punishment, depending on the offense and jurisdiction, may include execution, loss of liberty, government supervision (parole or probation), or fines. There are some archetypal crimes, like murder, but the acts that are forbidden are not wholly consistent between different criminal codes, and even within a particular code lines may be blurred as civil infractions may give rise also to criminal consequences. Criminal law typically is enforced by the government, unlike the civil law, which may be enforced by private parties.