Restraining Orders

There are some things you may want to consider doing after you have been granted an injunction against harassment. Depending on what you think is safest in your situation, you may decide to do any or all of the following:

• Review the injunction before you leave the courthouse. If you have any questions, you can ask the clerk or see if you can ask the judge.
• Make several copies of the injunction as soon as possible. Keep a copy with you at all times.
• Leave copies of the injunction at your workplace, at your home, at your children’s school or daycare, in your car, with a sympathetic neighbor, and so on.
• If you have a security guard or front desk person where you live or work, give them a copy of the injunction and a photo of the harasser.
• Give a copy of the injunction to anyone who is named in and protected by it. Encourage them to make their own copies.
• You may wish to consider changing your locks (if permitted by law) and your phone number.
• If the clerk is forwarding the order to law enforcement for service, you may want to call law enforcement to make sure they have received copies of your injunction from the clerk and to ask for updates on when it is being served. 
• If you are concerned about your safety when leaving the courthouse, you may want to notify a court officer and ask if s/he would walk you to your car.
• Do not contact the respondent for any reason. If the respondent violates your injunction in the future, police and judges may take your report less seriously if you have been in touch with him/her.

You may also want to make a safety plan. People can do a number of things to increase their safety from harassment. Many harassers obey injunctions, but some do not. So, it’s important to build on the things you have already been doing to keep yourself safe. You can look at our Safety Tips for Stalking Victims page for suggestions.