Restraining Orders

If you want your protection to last longer than 90 days, you must participate in a hearing. At the hearing, a judge will listen to all of the evidence you and the harasser present. S/he will decide whether or not to extend your TRO by giving you a final injunction against harassment, which can last for up to three years.

Although you aren’t required to hire a lawyer, you have the right to bring one to represent you at the hearing. If you show up to court and the harasser has a lawyer and you do not, you may want to consider asking the judge for a “continuance.” That’s a request to set a later court date so you can have time to find a lawyer for yourself.

If you’re going to represent yourself, see the At the Hearing section under the Preparing for Court tab at the top of this page for ways you can show the judge that you were harassed.

¹ Haw. Rev. Stat. § 604-10.5(g)