Can You Get a Restraining Order for Online Harassment?
Social media outlets are a great way to find people with common interests and stay in touch with friends and family members. Unfortunately, sometimes you'll come across someone who wants to bully and/or harass you. Can you get a ? - DoNotPay has found the answers.
What Is a Restraining Order and How Do They Work?
In its simplest form, a restraining order is a court order issued by a judge instructing the restrained person to refrain from certain types of behavior.
In general, there are two types of restraining orders. A civil restraining order is a court order that prevents the restrained party from publishing certain things and/or going to specific places. A criminal restraining order is likely to be issued when an injured party is seeking protection against a party that has committed a crime against them.
If the person you want to restrain has only used online avenues to threaten or harass you, perhaps even publicizing private or personally sensitive photos without your permission, you'll probably have the most chance of success with trying to get a civil restraining order. Depending upon the state in which you live, a civil restraining order to stop online bullying and harassment may also be referred to as a digital restraining order, a cyberbullying restraining order, a cyberstalking restraining order, internet harassment restraining order, or a cyber harassment restraining order.
Tips for Checking Your State's Restraining Order Laws
The rules and laws vary from state to state with regard to whether you can get a restraining order for online harassment, or whether you can get a restraining order for . According to WomensLaw.org, individual states generally fall into one of three categories when it comes to filing a cyber restraining order. Most likely in your state, you'll need to file for a personal protection order (PPO) either by:
- Obtaining forms and filing in person.
- Obtaining forms online, but filing in person.
- Get your forms online and you can also file a restraining order for online harassment, all from the comfort of your own home.
Several states, including Iowa, Idaho, Connecticut, California, and Alaska, allow victims to use the latter option of doing everything remotely (obtaining forms and filing).
Listed below is a table that provides more information on how to obtain a restraining order in your state.
As mentioned, WomenLaw.org is a great resource if you have questions about how a PPO (personal protection order) works in your particular state. Some key points you may want to learn more about include:
- Does it cost anything to file for a PPO in your state?
- What happens if the person restrained violates the restraining order?
- When can you file a restraining order?
- What proof will you need in order to file for a PPO?
- How long will the restraining order last?
Can I Get a Restraining order for Online Harassment With the Help of DoNotPay?
We understand that the process of getting a restraining order for online harassment can be particularly confusing, especially since each state has its own laws and rules regarding these types of restraining orders. In order to make the process as easy as possible for you, DoNotPay offers a "File a Restraining Order" product right here on our website that can help you get the protection you need.
We want to be clear about what DoNotPay can and can't do for you:
- DoNotPay cannot create a legal restraining order for you. Restraining orders can only be issued through the court system.
- We CAN help you determine the laws, rules, and relevant authorities in your state as they pertain to obtaining a PPO (personal protection order), and we can find and present to you the forms and documents you'll need in order to file for a PPO in your state.
If you're interested in allowing DoNotPay to help you with the process of filing for a restraining order in your state, simply complete the following steps:
- Search for relationship protection on DoNotPay.
- Answer a few easy questions on our File a Restraining Order product.
- Submit the form and you’re done!
We will research your state's requirements when it comes to which personal protection forms you'll need to fill out. Along with these forms, we'll also give you detailed instructions on how to file a restraining order in your specific jurisdiction.
DoNotPay Works Across All Your Day to Day Issues to Find the Answers You Need
Along with finding information on how to file restraining orders in popular states such as Texas and Florida, we can help you with other justice-related issues as well. We can help you learn more about how to:
- Stop a stalker from harassing you
- Get compensation as a victim of a crime
- Win your case in small claims court