Restraining Orders

Emergency, preliminary, and final protective orders can:

• prohibit the abuser from committing acts of violence, force, or threat, or crimes resulting in injury to you or damage to your property;
• prohibit any contact by the abuser with you or your family or household members; Note: For emergency orders only, this can include prohibiting the abuser from being in your “physical presence,” which includes intentionally maintaining eye contact with you or unreasonably being within 100 feet from your home or work;
• give you possession of a pet or companion animal if you are considered an owner of the pet;
• if the abuser is a minor, order the local board of social services to provide services to the child and family; and
• order anything else that the judge decides is necessary to prevent:
  • acts of violence, force, or threat;
  • crimes resulting in injury to a person or damage to property; or
  • communication or other contact of any kind by the abuser.¹

Once the abuser has been served with a copy of a final order, they will be required to notify the court in writing within seven days of moving for as long as the order is in effect. This requirement may also apply to a preliminary order that has been served, but you may want to ask the judge to make sure it is included.² 

¹ Va. Code §§ 19.2-152.8(B); 19.2-152.9(A); 19.2-152.10(A)
¹ Va. Code §§ 19.2-152.9(I); 19.2-152.10(N)