What’s New on WomensLaw.org

We translated into Spanish recent English revisions to When does someone usually file for allocation of parental responsibilities? and translated the question Can grandparents file for visitation (“family time”)? in our Colorado Custody page.

We translated into Spanish recent English revisions on our Safety Planning page for Domestic Violence Victims including Safety While Living with an Abuser and Safety when Preparing to End an Abusive Relationship.

We translated into Spanish the seven questions in the Male Victims section on the Abuse in Specific Communities page.

In our Iowa Custody section we created 28 new questions in English; Spanish coming soon! We also added 21 related statutes to our Selected Iowa Statutes page.

We updated 22 resources and added nine new resources on our Washington Legal Assistance page and updated six resources on our Washington Lawyer Referral Services page. All changes made in English and Spanish.

On our West Virginia Restraining Order page, we revised the question What is the legal definition of stalking? to update the definition of stalking for the purposes of getting a personal safety order based on 2023 legislative changes.

On our West Virginia Crimes page, we added the crime of stalking.

Lastly, we added 19 statutes to our Selected West Virginia Statutes page.

Based on 2022 and 2023 legislative changes, we did the following:

• In our Illinois State Gun Laws page, revised two questions in English and Spanish to reflect the changed terminology from “alien” to “noncitizen.” We also clarified that the requirement for someone under 21 years old who needs a parent’s permission to have a firearm does not apply to someone in the Armed Forces or Illinois National Guard; and
• In our Illinois Civil No Contact Orders (for Victims of Sexual Assault) section, we did the following in English (Spanish coming soon!):
  • Revised Who can get a civil no contact order? to add that a person can file a petition on behalf of any family or household member who is a victim but only after receiving consent from the victim to do so; and that a service member in the Illinois National Guard or any reserve military component serving within Illinois who is a victim and who also has a military protective order can file or the State Judge Advocate can file on his/her behalf with consent of the victim;
  • Revised two questions to explain that the petition can be filed online; and
  • Revised What protections can I get in a civil no contact order? to clarify that “no contact” includes electronic communication, such as email, instant message, text message, voicemail, etc. We also added a related statute to our Selected Illinois Statutes page.

We translated into Spanish our South Carolina Download Court Forms page.

Based on 2022 changes to the court petition for a protective order, we revised Can I “violate” my own order? in our Iowa Protective Orders (Based on Domestic Abuse) page to update the specific language regarding a plaintiff or his/her child violating their own order. We also revised the following questions in our Iowa Sexual Abuse Protective Orders page:

• What is the legal definition of sexual abuse? to hyperlink to the definitions of incest and sexual exploitation of a minor; and
• Can I change, extend, or cancel my order? to add information about the name of the petition that needs to be filed and the amount of time can extension can last.

We also added the crimes of “incest” and “sexual exploitation of a minor” to our Iowa Crimes page and Selected Iowa Statutes page. In addition, we added a statute related to small claims court to our Selected Iowa Statutes page.

We translated into Spanish the following on our Utah Legal Information pages:

• Recent English clarifications to two questions on our Utah Divorce page:
  • Can I get alimony?
  • Will a judge consider who is at fault for the end of the marriage when making a decision about alimony?
• Recent English revisions to What is the legal definition of stalking? in our Utah Civil Stalking Injunctions section.
• The new Utah Workplace Violence Protective Orders section.
• Recent English revisions to two questions on our Utah Gun Laws page, based on 2023 legislative amendments:
  • 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?
• Recent English revisions to What protections can I get in a cohabitant abuse protective order? in our Utah Cohabitant Abuse Protection Orders section.

We translated into Spanish the following Missouri pages:

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

Now the Spanish translation of the Missouri Legal Information section is complete! That makes Missouri the 32nd state to be completely translated into Spanish on our website!

We revised the Guam Download Court Forms page, updating the links to order of protection and divorce forms, and adding a link to forms for filing in small claims court. We also updated the link to small claims court forms on the Guam Suing an Abuser for Money page.

Based on 2023 legislative changes, we revised Who can get custody? in our Georgia Custody section to add the fact that if one parent has been criminally indicted for murder or voluntary manslaughter of the other parent, the judge has the option to decide not to give that parent custody. We also added the related statute to our Selected Georgia Statutes page.

Based on 2023 legislative amendments, we did the following in English and Spanish:

• In our D.C. Civil Protection Orders page, revised Can I file for a civil protection order if I am a minor? to add that a person with physical custody can file on behalf of a minor; and
• In our D.C. State Gun Laws page, revised two questions to add that gun possession is now prohibited if the person has a restraining order against him/her that requires the person to stay away from, or have no contact with, any other person or a location.

We translated into Spanish the recent updates on our Maryland Divorce section.

We translated into Spanish the resource Sierra Community House, with three locations, on our California Local Programs page.

We translated into Spanish the resource Communities Overcoming Violent Encounters on our Michigan Local Programs page.

We translated into Spanish the resource Identity Theft Resource Center on our National Organizations Financial Info/Economic Empowerment page.

We translated into Spanish the revised information on the question How will the judge calculate child support? in our Arkansas Child Support section.

We updated the resource on our North Carolina Lawyer Referral Services page in English and Spanish.

We updated the contact information for one resource on our Washington Lawyer Referral Services page.

We updated the contact information for one resource on our Legal Assistance page and for one resource on our Legal Assistance for Abused Immigrants page for Texas.

We updated the contact information for one resource on our Rhode Island Statewide Programs page.

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

We updated the contact information for one resource on our Nevada Legal Assistance page.

We updated the contact information for one resource on our Missouri Legal Assistance page.

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

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

We updated the contact information for one resource on our Statewide Programs page and for one resource on our Legal Assistance page for Florida.

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

We updated a resource, The Center for Empowerment and Education (formerly the Women’s Center of Greater Danbury), on our Connecticut Local Programs page in English and Spanish.

Based on 2023 legislative amendments, we did the following in English (Spanish coming soon):

• In our Connecticut Risk Protection Orders section, in What is a risk protection order?, we added that the respondent has to be at least 18 and that only one police officer, not two, is now needed to file the petition; however, a second officer has to support the complaint under oath.
• In our Connecticut State Gun Laws page, we revised three questions to include the fact that gun possession is now illegal based on:
  • a conviction for a number of “family violence” misdemeanors committed against a family or household member;
  • a conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, as defined by federal law; and
  • being a fugitive from justice.

We also added 15 related statutes to our Selected Connecticut Statutes page.  

Lastly, in our Connecticut Suing an Abuser for Money page, we added the fact that there is a $15,000 limit in small claims court for cases that involve a home improvement contract; and in our Connecticut Crimes page, we added 10 new crimes. (Spanish coming soon.)

We added a new resource, The Immigration Center for Women and Children, on our Nevada Legal Assistance page in English and Spanish.

We created a new question in our Arizona Divorce section called Is there any way to do a divorce quickly? In English and Spanish. We also added two related statutes to our Selected Arizona Statutes page.

We updated a resource, Beacon Center (formerly Domestic Abuse Council, Inc.), located in Volusia County, on our Florida Local Programs page in English and Spanish.

In our Washington State Gun Laws page, we revised What is the definition of a felony? in English and Spanish to clarify that a felony is classified as a crime that is punishable by more than one year in prison. Previously, we had an incorrect timeframe due to citing a statute that listed the maximum penalties as opposed to the minimum. We also added the related statute to our Selected Washington Statutes page. We regret the error.

Based on 2022 and 2023 legislative amendments, in our Colorado Custody page we did the following (Spanish coming soon):

• Revised When does someone usually file for allocation of parental responsibilities? to add that a motion can be filed as part of a juvenile court case.
• Created a new question called Can grandparents file for visitation (“family time”)? to explain the two new laws added regarding grandparent visitation. We also added those laws to our Selected Colorado Statutes page.
• Revised What are some advantages and disadvantages of getting an allocation of parental responsibilities order? to change the language about a man signing an acknowledgement of paternity to include the terminology of a non-birthing parent signing an acknowledgement of parentage.

We updated 86 resources and added five new resources on our North Carolina Local Programs page. We also updated two resources and added one new resource on our North Carolina Statewide Programs page. All changes made in English and Spanish.

Based on 2022 and 2023 legislative changes, we did the following :

• In our Florida Custody section, we:
  • Revised I fled to Florida with my children to escape domestic violence. Can I get temporary emergency custody of my child in Florida even if another state is the child’s “home state”? to add the fact that if a child is in Florida due to being subjected to or threatened with “sex-reassignment prescriptions or procedures,” this is a reason to file for emergency custody in Florida.
  • Revised Can grandparents get visitation rights in court? to add the fact that if one parent has been held criminally liable for the death of the other parent or civilly liable for an intentional tort causing the death of the other parent, the judge will grant reasonable visitation for the grandparent who is the parent of the deceased person.
• In our Florida Injunctions for Protection Against Domestic Violence section, we revised How will the judge decide if I am “in immediate danger of becoming a victim of domestic violence?” to add a new factor that a judge must consider, namely whether the respondent has engaged in a pattern of abusive, threatening, intimidating, or controlling behavior that reasonably causes the petitioner to believe that s/he or his/her child are in immediate (imminent) danger of becoming victims of any act of domestic violence.
• We revised our Florida Suing an Abuser for Money page to increase the amount a victim fo sexual cyberharassment can sue for, from $5,000 to $10,000.

Changes made in English; Spanish coming soon.

We added Abduction of Children to our North Carolina Crimes page. Addition made in English and Spanish. We also added the related statute to our Selected North Carolina Statutes page.

Based on 2023 legislative changes, we did the following:

• in our Florida Divorce section:
  • revised What types of alimony are there? to reflect the fact that there is no longer permanent alimony, to change the definitions for short-term, moderate, and long-term marriages, and to make other changes; 
  • revised Can I get alimony? What factors will a judge consider? to reflect the fact that a judge can consider the following as factors when determining alimony, among others:
    • adultery; 
    • whether either party is physically or mentally disabled;
    • income generated from both marital and non-marital assets; and
  • created a new question called Under what circumstances can an alimony award be modified or terminated? to explain how a judge can terminate or reduce alimony if the person receiving support enters into a “supportive relationship” or if the spouse paying alimony retires.
• in our Florida Custody section:
  • revised Can a parent who committed violence get custody (parental responsibility) or visitation (time-sharing)? to list the factors a judge will consider when deciding if there is detriment to a child; 
  • revised If a custody order (parenting plan) is already in place, how can I get it changed? to remove the former requirement that the substantial change of circumstances must be unanticipated; 
  • revised Who can get custody (sole/shared parental responsibility) of a child? to explain the rebuttable presumption for equal time-sharing;
  • revised Can I get financial support for my child in a custody order (parenting plan)? to add information about supporting a ”dependent adult child” and a child who is between 18 and 19 and still in high school. We also added three related statutes to our Selected Florida Statutes page.

 Changes made in English; Spanish coming soon.

Based on 2023 legislative amendments, we did the following:

• Revised What is the legal definition of abuse in Delaware? in our Delaware Orders of Protection from Abuse section to include the fact that the following are now considered grounds for getting a protective order
  • causing physical injury to a pet or service animal;
  • engaging in a course of alarming or distressing conduct that is likely to cause fear or emotional distress or cause a violent or disorderly response, including conduct that is directed towards a pet or service animal; and
  • any of the following acts when used as a method of coercion, control, punishment, or intimidation against the victim: 
    • causing or attempting to cause physical injury to a pet who the victim has close bond with;
    • acting in a way that is likely to cause the victim to fear that a pet who s/he has close bond with will be physically injured; or
    • committing the crime of cruelty to animals against a pet who the victim has a close bond with.
• Revised What protections can I get in an order of protection from abuse? to add these new protections that a judge can include in a protection order: 
  • stay away from a pet (“companion animal”) owned or held by the victim, the abuser, or a minor child living in the home of victim or the abuser;
  • not take, transfer, hide, harm, or otherwise get rid of such pet;
  • give the petitioner the exclusive care, custody, or control of any such pet.

We also added the related statute of cruelty to animals to our Selected Delaware Statutes page and Delaware Crimes page.

Based on legislative changes that took effect in 2023, we did the following:

• in our California Custody page, we revised Where can I file for child custody? Which state has jurisdiction? to add the fact that if a child is in California to get gender-affirming care, that could be a reason to grant temporary emergency jurisdiction, and it can also be a “significant connection” for the purposes of determining jurisdiction for a custody petition;
• in our California Restraining Orders page, we:
  • revised How do I change or extend my order?  to add that the judge can extend an order for more than five years and that there can be more than one renewal of the order;
  • revised How much does it cost? Do I need a lawyer? to explain the circumstances under which either party can ask the judge to order payment of attorney’s fees.

Changes made in English; Spanish coming soon.

In our National Organizations - Disability Rights section, we added a new resource, OlmsteadRights.org, in English and Spanish.

We translated into Spanish the information on Minnesota Housing Laws. Now the Spanish translation of the Minnesota Legal Information section is complete! That makes Minnesota the 31st state to be completely translated into Spanish on our website!

We updated the Alabama Download Court Forms page, linking to the new protection from abuse order petition that takes effect today (9/1/23) and adding a link to the elder abuse protection order petition.

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

We updated the contact information for six resources on our Texas Local Programs page.

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 Ohio Local Programs page.

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

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

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

We updated the contact information for one resource on our Local Programs page and for one resource on our Legal Assistance page for Alabama.

We updated the information for Safer Path Family Violence Shelter (formerly known as the Family Crisis Center, Inc.) on our Texas Local Programs page in English and Spanish.

In our Alabama State Gun Laws section, we revised two questions based on 2023 legislative changes that amend the categories of people who cannot legally have a firearm. Namely, we:

• added someone who is an “illegally or unlawfully” in the United States or who has a nonimmigrant visa to the list of prohibited individuals; and
• changed the terminology from ”drug addict” to “someone who is addicted to drugs.”

Additionally, in our Alabama Protection from Abuse Orders page, we revised What protections can I get in a protection from abuse order? to add the fact that Alabama state law makes it automatically illegal for anyone who is “subject to a valid protection order for domestic abuse” to have a firearm.

In our Alabama Elder Abuse Protection Orders page, in What is the legal definition of elder abuse?, we added a link to the statutory definition of financial exploitation. We also added the related statute to our Selected Alabama Statutes page.

In our Missouri Custody page, we updated the question What factors will a judge consider when deciding custody? and added the question Will the judge always give equal parenting time? to reflect changes in the law. Changes made in English; Spanish coming soon! We also updated the related statute in our Selected Missouri Statutes page.

We updated the question What are the steps for filing for custody? in our Massachusetts Custody page in English and Spanish. 

We updated a resource, Greater Boston Legal Services, on our Massachusetts Legal Assistance page in English and Spanish.

In our Maine Protection From Abuse Orders page, we did the following:

• revised What protections can I get in a protection from abuse order? to add:
  • the fact that a temporary order can address the care, custody, or control of any animal;
  • that an order can prohibit the abuser from injuring or threatening to injure any such animal;
  • the specific reasons why a judge would prohibit possession of a firearm in a temporary order;
• revised Can the order be extended or modified? to include:
  • the reasons that a judge could consider when deciding whether or not to extend the order;
  • the fact that an order can be extended more than once;
• revised Step 2 - The judge reviews your complaint and may issue an ex parte temporary PFA order. to include the fact that after the abuser is served with the temporary PFA order, s/he has the right to file a motion asking the judge to end (dissolve) or change (modify) the order and the plaintiff may get only two days’ notice of this hearing;
• created a new question called Can I get in trouble if I allow the abuser to violate the order?

We also added 12 new statutes to our Selected Maine Statutes page due to the renumbering of the statutes in the protection from abuse orders section.

We revised the question How can I recognize signs of elder abuse? on our Elder Abuse page. This information can help friends and family identify if the older adults in their life are being abused by a partner, a family member or at a long term healthcare facility. Spanish coming soon. 

We updated the contact information for five resources on our California Local Programs page.

We updated 16 resources and added one new resource on our Colorado Legal Assistance page. We also updated the resource on our Colorado Lawyer Referral Services page. All changes made in English and Spanish.

Based on a 2023 legislative amendments, we did the following:

• Revised What are the grounds for divorce in New Hampshire? in our New Hampshire Divorce section to add the fact that the habitual use of drugs –in addition to alcohol– is a ground for divorce. 
• Revised What factors will a judge consider when deciding parental rights and responsibilities? in our New Hampshire Custody section to add the fact that if the judge is deciding parental rights and responsibilities due to the death of a parent or guardian, the judge should consider the contact the child has had with the surviving parent as well as the wishes of the deceased parent, as included in his/her will.

We added a statute related to synthetic identity theft to our Selected Indiana Statutes page.

We updated a resource, Alianza (formerly Womanshelter/Compañeras), located in Hampden County, on our Massachusetts Local Programs page in English in Spanish.

Based on user feedback, we reviewed our Safety Planning page for Domestic Violence Victims including Safety While Living with an Abuser and Safety when Preparing to End an Abusive Relationship. Spanish translation soon to come.

On our New York Custody page, we updated the question Can a parent who committed domestic violence or sexual assault get custody or visitation? to clarify when a parent who has committed a sexual offense may not get custody or visitation. Changed in English; Spanish coming soon!