What’s New on WomensLaw.org

In our Louisiana Restraining Orders section, in What is the legal definition of domestic abuse in Louisiana?, we updated the link to the Louisiana Legislature that lists crimes that could be included in the definition of “domestic abuse.” Changes made in English and Spanish.

In our Iowa Custody section, we did the following:

• Revised Can a grandparent or great-grandparent get visitation? to emphasize that a visitation request can only be made if the child’s parent has died. We also clarified that there is a “rebuttable presumption” in favor of the parent’s decision if s/he objects to visitation and explained what that terms means; and
• Revised How will a judge decide if grandparent or great-grandparent visitation is in the child’s best interest? to clarify that the judge will only look at the best interest factors if the child’s parent has died and many other factors are true. We then linked users to Can a grandparent or great-grandparent get visitation? for a more detailed explanation of the many factors the judge would consider first.

We restructured our Louisiana 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 updated links to forms on the Colorado Courts website, in English and Spanish, as follows:

• In our Colorado Restraining Orders section:
  • “Protection Order Incident Checklist” form in What is the legal definition of domestic violence in Colorado? 
  • “How to Obtain a Civil Protection Order, JDF 400” in Step 5: The hearing 
  • “Instructions for Protected Person Motion to Modify / Dismiss Protection Order” in Can I file to modify the terms or length of my order or cancel it?
  • “Instructions for Restrained Person Motion to Modify / Dismiss Protection Order” in What if I disagree with the protection order issued against me?
  • “Fee Waivers” page in How much does it cost to get a protection order?
  • “Petition and Affidavit for an Extreme Risk Protection Order” in How do I get an extreme risk protection order?
• In our Colorado Divorce section:
  • “Petition for Divorce or Legal Separation,” ”Instructions to Convert Decree of Legal Separation to Decree of Dissolution of Marriage” and ”Motion to Convert Decree of Legal Separation to Decree of Dissolution of Marriage” in Where can I find additional information about divorce?
• In our Colorado Suing an Abuser for Money section, the “Guide to Small Claims” and “Small Claims Notice and Summons.” 

We updated 12 resources on our Kansas Legal Assistance page, and one resource on our Lawyer Referral Services page. Updates made in English; Spanish coming soon.

Based on 2024 legislative amendments, we did the following in our Colorado Custody section:

• Revised How will a judge make a decision about allocation of parental responsibilities? to add the following:
  • a judge should not consider information or recommendations that are biased; and
  • either party can file a motion to ask the judge to interview the child in the judge’s chambers in order to find out the child’s wishes as to parenting time.
• Revised Can a parent who committed abuse against me or my child get parental responsibilities? to add that when considering the judge considers the safety and well-being of the child and the abused parent, it includes their physical, mental, and emotional condition and needs.
• Revised If an allocation of parental responsibilities order is already in place, how can I get it changed? to add that a judge can order a litigant who files a frivolous motion to pay the costs of the other party’s “licensed legal paraprofessional.”
• Revised What can I do if the other parent violates the order? to add that a judge can order the losing party on a motion for contempt to pay the costs of the other party’s “licensed legal paraprofessional.”

Spanish coming soon.

We restructured the Crimes page for the U.S. Virgin Islands 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 the Crimes page for South Carolina 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 also added the crimes of “buggery” and “criminal solicitation of a minor.” All changes made in English and Spanish.

We restructured the Crimes page for New Mexico 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 also added the crime of criminal sexual penetration. All changes made in English and Spanish.

We updated 11 resources on our Utah Legal Assistance page in English; Spanish coming soon!

We restructured the Crimes page for New Hampshire 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 also added the crime of false imprisonment.

We restructured the Crimes page for Mississippi 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 also added five crimes related to human trafficking and offenses affecting children.

We added the crime of “incest” to our Kentucky Crimes page.

On our About Abuse – Sexual Assault/Rape page we updated the link to the cited National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey in the questions What is sexual assault? How common is it? and What is rape? How common is it?

On our Safety Planning – While Using Social Media page we updated the link to a resource on cyber-bullying.

We updated the contact information for one resource on our National Organizations – Title IX page.

We updated the contact information for one resource on our Utah Local Programs page.

We updated the contact information for one resource on our Kansas Local Programs page.

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

We updated the contact information for one resource on our Missouri Local Programs page.

For the Northern Mariana Islands we did the following:

• Created a new Suing an Abuser for Money page with information about seeking justice through the civil court system.
• Created a new Crimes page with information about possible crimes in the CNMI that the abuser may have committed.
• Added 48 statutes related to crimes to our Selected Northern Mariana Islands Statutes page.

On our Ohio Divorce page, we updated the links in Where can I find additional information about divorce in Ohio? for the court forms for divorce with and without children. 

In our Texas Places that Help section, we translated into Spanish one resource on our Local Programs page, one on our Legal Assistance page, and one on our Courthouse Locations page.

In our Pennsylvania Places that Help section, we translated into Spanish four resources on our Local Programs page and one resource on our Legal Assistance page.

In our New York Places that Help section, we translated into Spanish one resource on our Local Programs page and eight resources on our Legal Assistance page.

In our Michigan Places that Help section, we translated into Spanish one resource on our Local Programs page and two resources on our Legal Assistance page.

We translated into Spanish one resource on our Maryland Legal Assistance page.

We translated into Spanish one resource on our Illinois Courthouse Locations page.

We translated into Spanish one resource on our Florida Local Programs page.

We translated into Spanish one resource on our California Courthouse Locations page.

Based on 2024 legislative changes, for Utah we:

• Revised What is the legal definition of domestic violence and abuse in Utah? on our Restraining Orders page and added seven related statutes to our Selected Utah Statutes page.
• Revised If the abuser’s gun is taken away, what will happen to it? on our State Gun Laws page.

Changes made in English; Spanish coming soon.

In our South Dakota Places that Help section, we translated into Spanish one resource on our Local Programs page and one resource on our Lawyer Referral Services page.

In our New Hampshire Places that Help section, we translated into Spanish one resource on the Statewide Programs page, six resources on the Legal Assistance page, one resource on the Lawyer Referral Services page, and 30 resources on the Courthouse Locations page.

We translated into Spanish one resource on our Delaware Legal Assistance page.

In our Kentucky Places that Help section, we translated into Spanish 17 resources on the Legal Assistance page, one resource on the Lawyer Referral Services page, and two resources on the Courthouse Locations page.

We translated into Spanish our Nebraska Child Support and Housing Laws pages. Now the Spanish translation of the Nebraska Legal Information section is complete! That makes Nebraska the 37th state to be completely translated into Spanish on our website!

We revised five questions on our Utah Divorce page, based on 2024 legislative changes. Spanish coming soon.

• What are the residency requirements to file for divorce in Utah?
• What are the grounds for divorce in Utah?
• Can I get alimony?
• Will a judge consider who is at fault for the marriage ending when making a decision about alimony?
• Can a judge change or end my alimony order?

We also added 13 related statutes to our Selected Utah Statutes page.

On our Minnesota Custody page, we revised two questions based on 2024 legislative changes affecting the way some factors can be used to determine custody:

• How will a judge make a decision about custody?
• Can the non-custodial parent have access to the child’s medical, health, and school records?

We also added the new custody question If I or my child has a disability, will that affect the judge’s decision? based on 2024 legislative changes about how a parent’s disability can be considered in the custody process.

We updated our Minnesota Suing an Abuser for Money page based on 2024 legislative changes that increased the amount of damages in small claims court to $20,000.

On our Minnesota Divorce page, we revised three questions based on 2024 legislative changes for what is taken into account to determine an alimony award:

• Can I get alimony?
• How will a judge make a decision about alimony?
• Can my alimony award be changed?

We also added the following new questions based on these same legislative changes and to improve clarity for our users:

• If the judge orders alimony, how long will it last?
• Will I continue to receive alimony if I remarry?

On our Minnesota Restraining Orders page, we revised the following questions based on 2024 legislative changes about how restraining order papers are served:

• What types of orders for protection are available? How long do they last?
• Step 2: A judge will review your petition and may grant an ex parte order.
• Step 3: Service of process
• How can my order be changed, extended, or vacated?
• Do I need to tell the court in Minnesota if I move?
• What happens if the abuser violates the order?

We also revised How much does it cost to file for a harassment restraining order? based on 2024 legislative changes for what crimes mean that there is no fee to file for this type of order.

Finally, we added one statute related to custody to our Selected Minnesota Statutes page.

On our Florida Custody page, we translated into Spanish recent revisions to What is a parenting plan?

On our Florida Restraining Orders page, we translated into Spanish recent revisions to What protections can I get in an injunction for protection against domestic violence?

We translated into Spanish recent updates to our New York Suing an Abuser for Money page.

In our Georgia Dating Violence Protective Orders section, we translated into Spanish the new question What can I do if the abuser violates the order?

In our Georgia Stalking Protective Orders section, we translated into Spanish recent revisions to What types of stalking protective orders are there and how long do they last?

In our Georgia Child Support section, we translated into Spanish recent revisions to two questions:

• How much child support will I get?
• How long does child support last?

We translated into Spanish our Nebraska Harassment Protection Orders page.

On our New York Divorce page we revised the question What are the grounds for divorce? to more clearly explain the difference between fault and no-fault divorces, based on 2024 legislative changes. Spanish coming soon.

We restructured the Crimes page for Illinois 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.

We added a resource, the State Bar of Michigan Modest Means Program, to our Michigan Lawyer Referral Services page in English and Spanish.

On our Tennessee Restraining Orders page, we translated into Spanish recent updates to What types of protection orders are there? How long do they last? 

On our Tennessee Custody page, we translated into Spanish recent updates to two questions:

• What rights do I have to my child when s/he is spending time with the other parent?
• Can a parent who committed violence get custody or visitation?

On our Virginia Restraining Orders page, we translated into Spanish recent updates to the following questions:

• How much does it cost to get a protective order? Do I need a lawyer?
• What happens if the abuser violates the order? in the section Protective Orders (for Family Abuse)
• What happens if the abuser violates the order? in the section Protective Orders (for an Act of Violence, Force, or Threat) section

On our Virginia Custody page, we translated into Spanish recent updates to the question If a custody order is already in place, how can I get it changed? 

We translated into Spanish the following in our Washington Stalking Protection Orders section:

• Newly added questions:
  
  • Can I file for a stalking protection order if I am a minor?
  • What are the steps to get a stalking protection order?
• Recent revisions to the following questions:
  
  • What is the legal definition of stalking in Washington?
  • Am I eligible to file for a stalking protection order?

In our Maryland Parental Kidnapping section we translated into Spanish:

• Recent revisions to 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? 
• The new question If I just fled to Maryland with my child, can I get temporary emergency custody?

We translated into Spanish recent revisions to 11 questions on our Asylum page.

We translated into Spanish the recent revisions to the question If there is no legal decision-making and parenting time order, is it against the law for me to take my kids away from the other parent? in our Arizona Parental Kidnapping section.

We translated into Spanish the recent revisions to the four questions in our Kansas Parental Kidnapping section:

• 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 me an abduction prevention order?

We translated into Spanish the recent revisions to the question What protections can I get in a protection order? in our New Mexico Restraining Orders section.

We translated into Spanish our Oregon Restraining Orders page.

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

• Restraining Orders
• Custody
• Child Support
• Divorce
• Crimes
• State Gun Laws
• Suing an Abuser for Money

We also translated into Spanish the Selected Idaho Statutes page introduction to let users know that we do not have access to a Spanish version. Now the Spanish translation of the Idaho Legal Information section is complete! That makes Idaho the 36th state to be completely translated into Spanish on our website!

In our Idaho Places that Help section we:

• Updated eight resources and added one resource to our Legal Assistance page.
• Updated 34 and added seven resources to our Local Programs page.

In our California Custody section, we created the following three new questions (Spanish coming soon):

• If my child was conceived from rape, can the offender get custody or visitation?
• Can a parent get custody or visitation if s/he is a registered sex offender or lives with one?
• Can a parent who was convicted of child abuse get custody or visitation?

We also added four related statutes to our Selected California Statutes page.

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

We added a resource, CABA Pro Bono Legal Services, to our Florida Legal Assistance page in English and Spanish.

On our California Lawyer Referral Services page we added the Lawyer Referral & Information Service of the Mexican American Bar Association of Los Angeles County, in English and Spanish.

We added five new resources to our California Legal Assistance page in English and Spanish.

We added a resource, the Domestic Violence Representation Project, to our New Jersey Legal Assistance page in English and Spanish.

In our Colorado Advocates and Shelters section we:

• Updated 37 resources and added seven new resources on our Local Programs page.
• Updated three resources and added one new resource on our Statewide Programs page.
• Updated four resources and added one new resource on our Denver Metro Area Programs page.

All changes made in English and Spanish.

We created a new West Virginia Child Support section including nine new questions that provide information about the state child support laws. We also added 11 related statutes to our Selected West Virginia Statutes page.

Based on 2024 legislative changes, we did the following:

• In our D.C. Extreme Risk Protection Order section:
  • Revised Who can file for an extreme risk protection order? to add that a petitioner can include:
    • someone with whom the respondent sought to have an intimate, dating, or sexual relationship; and
    • any sworn member of a law enforcement agency operating in the District of Columbia.
  • Revised What types of orders are there? How long do they last? to add that service of the petition does not have to be made by a police officer; and that an ex parte order can be extended for longer than 14 days if all parties agree.
  • Revised Can I renew an extreme risk protection order? to add that the court’s notification that the order will be expiring must be in writing.
• In our D.C. Gun Laws section:
  • Revised 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? to add that a conviction for stalking or attempted stalking disqualify someone from having a firearm.

Spanish coming soon.

We translated recent changes in our Texas Restraining Orders, Child Support, and Custody sections into Spanish. These changes were based on 2023 legislative changes.

We created a new Indiana Housing Laws page, including the following seven new questions that provide information about housing-related protections for victims. Spanish coming soon.

• Who is protected by these housing laws?
• What protections do these housing laws offer victims?
• What documents or proof do I need to give to my landlord to get out of my lease if I am a victim?
• Once I notify my landlord that I want to end my lease, do I still have to pay rent?
• What happens to my security deposit?
• If I end my lease, what will happen with my roommate or family members who live with me?
• When can I ask my landlord to change my locks?

We also added nine related statutes to our Selected Indiana Statutes page.

We updated 20 resources and added one new resource on our Oklahoma Legal Assistance page in English and Spanish.

We translated into Spanish two new questions 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 recent changes made in the following Maryland pages:

• Revisions to the question What are the grounds for divorce in Maryland? in our Divorce section.
• In our Custody section:
  
  • Revisions to the question Do I have to notify the court if I want to move (relocate) with my child?
  • Translated the two new questions If I fear the other parent may abduct my child, what can I do? and If the judge agrees that there is a risk my child will be abducted, what will the judge do?

We translated into Spanish the recent revisions to the question What is the legal definition of stalking? In our Utah Restraining Orders section.

To prepare our Idaho Child Support, Divorce, and Suing an Abuser for Money sections to be translated into Spanish, we revised nine question to be more “plain language,” to increase the readability and usefulness of these sections. 

We restructured the Crimes page for Georgia 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.