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September 2023
In our Maryland Divorce section, we expanded the information we had about the residency requirements for filing for a divorce. 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.
We updated 16 resources and added two new resources on our Arizona Legal Assistance page. We also updated the resource on our Arizona Statewide Legal Assistance page. All changes made in English and Spanish.
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.
Changes made in English; Spanish coming soon.
Based on 2023 legislative amendments that enable a judge to decide ownership of a pet as part of marital property, we created the question Will the judge decide who gets custody of my pet? in our Delaware Divorce section.
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 2023 legislative additions, we added 8 statutes related to sexual violence protective orders to our Selected Delaware Statutes page. We also added a brief Sexual Violence Protective Orders section to our Restraining Orders section with a plan to create a larger section later this year.
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.
We added a new resource, The LGBTQ+ Bar, on our National Organizations - LGBTQ and National Organizations - Lawyer Referral/Legal Information pages in English and Spanish.
In our National Organizations - Disability Rights section, we added a new resource, OlmsteadRights.org, in English and Spanish.
We added a statute to our Selected Connecticut Statutes page to add the definitions for the eavesdropping and voyeurism criminal laws.
We translated into Spanish the information on Minnesota Housing Laws.
Based on 2023 legislative changes, we did the following:
- revised two questions in our Arkansas State Gun Laws section to change the terminology for ”mental institution” to “mental health institution” in the list of disqualifying reasons for getting a concealed handgun license.
- revised How will the judge calculate child support? in our Arkansas Child Support section to explain that the judge can order the non-custodial parent to make a retroactive payment covering the three years before the petition was filed. (Spanish coming soon!)
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.
In our Alabama State Gun Laws page, we did the following:
- revised two questions that referred to the illegality of possessing a firearm when there is a “valid protection order” to clarify that this refers to an order issued after notice to the abuser and a hearing; and
- re-wrote What is the penalty for violating the state firearm laws? to explain the various levels of crimes that could be committed based on the circumstance as well as the jail time and fines for each.
We also added four related statutes to our Selected Alabama Statutes page.
In our Alabama Divorce page, we revised Can I get alimony once the divorce is finalized? based on 2022 legislative changes to explain that cohabitation for purposes of alimony termination now also includes living with a romantic partner of the same sex. (We regret the delay in updating this content.)
In our Alabama Protection from Abuse Orders page, we did the following based on 2023 legislative changes:
- revised Who is eligible for a protection from abuse (PFA) order? to add grandparents, step-grandparents, grandchildren, and step-grandchildren to the list of qualifying relationships for the purposes of filing for an order;
- revised How much does it cost to get a PFA order? to add the fact that there is no fee to modify or withdraw an order nor to ask for a subpoena for witness testimony. Also, the law now states that the judge can order the abuser to pay court fees and costs;
- revised How do I change my PFA order? to add the fact that there is no fee to file a modification petition.
August 2023
On our Missouri Housing Laws page, we added a new question What happens if my landlord sues me for rent after I followed the legal steps to break my lease? to clarify the legal protection for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Added in English; Spanish coming soon!
We updated the contact information for a resource on our West Virginia Local Programs page.
We updated the contact information for a resource on our Wisconsin Legal Assistance page.
We updated the contact information for one resource on our Local Programs page and for one resource on our Lawyer Referral Services page for Washington.
We updated the contact information for six resources on our Texas Local Programs page.
We updated the contact information for four resources on our Tennessee 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 Rhode Island Local Programs page.
We updated the contact information for a resource on our Ohio Local Programs page.
We updated the contact information for two resources on our New York Local Programs page.
We updated the contact information for a resource on our Nevada Legal Assistance page.
We updated the contact information for two resources on our North Carolina Local Programs 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 Missouri Local Programs page.
We updated the contact information for a resource on our Louisiana Lawyer Referral Services page.
We updated the contact information for four resources on our California Local 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 Alabama.
We updated the contact information for a resource on our Alaska Local Programs page.
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.
We updated the information for Open Arms Rape Crisis Center and LGBT+ Services (formerly known as the Concho Valley Rape Crisis Center) 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 Washington Crimes page, we added a link to the available defenses in the law for custodial interference. We also updated the link to the Washington Crime Victims Compensation website.
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.
We updated 32 resources and added five new resources on our Arizona Local Programs page, and updated three resources on our Arizona Statewide Programs page. All changes made in English and Spanish.
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 State Statutes page.
In our Maine Divorce section, we revised What factors will the judge consider when deciding whether to award alimony? to add information on the limits that could be included in an alimony order, such as termination of the alimony upon remarriage or cohabitation.
We updated the question What are the steps for filing for custody? in our Massachusetts Custody page in English and Spanish.
We updated the question What are the steps for filing for custody? in our Maryland Custody page in English and Spanish. We also rearranged some of the questions so it’s easier for users to browse through the content.
We updated a resource, Greater Boston Legal Services, on our Massachusetts Legal Assistance page in English and Spanish.
We updated the question What are the steps for filing for custody? in our Connecticut Custody page in English and Spanish. We also rearranged some of the questions so it’s easier for users to browse through the content.
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 added the question What are the steps for filing for custody? to our Arizona Custody page. Addition in English and Spanish.
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.
Based on user feedback, we completely revised the Male Victims section on the Abuse in Specific Communities page. We created seven new questions including:
- Why is this website called WomensLaw.org? Is the information here only applicable to women?
- What are gender stereotypes and what does it have to do with domestic violence?
- What types of abuse do men suffer?
Spanish coming soon!
We updated the contact information for five resources on our California Local Programs page.
We updated a resource, the Harford County Bar Foundation, on our Maryland Lawyer Referral Services page in English and Spanish.
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.
We added the crimes of “domestic violence aggravated assault,” “domestic violence elevated aggravated assault,” and “domestic violence elevated aggravated assault on a pregnant person” to our Maine Crimes page and Selected Maine Statutes page.
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.
In our Alaska Domestic Violence Protective Orders page, in Where can I file for a domestic violence protective order?, we clarified that a victim can file in the area where they are temporarily staying. We also created a new question called Where can I file for a stalking or sexual assault protective order? in our Alaska Stalking or Sexual Assault Protective Orders page.
We added a statute related to synthetic identity theft to our Selected Indiana Statutes page.
We updated 19 resources and added eight new resources on our Iowa Local Programs page. We also updated three resources and added one new resource on our Iowa Statewide Programs page. All changes made in English and Spanish.
We updated a resource, Alianza (formerly Womanshelter/Compañeras), located in Hampden County, on our Massachusetts Local Programs page in English in Spanish.
We created a new question in our Texas Custody page in English called If my parental rights were terminated, is it possible to get my rights back? Spanish coming soon. We also added two related statutes to our Selected Texas Statutes page.
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.
We translated into Spanish our newly created page called How to Use Our Website where we have short videos demonstrating how to browse WomensLaw.org, use our Email Hotline and chat with an attorney.
We updated a resource, The Open Door Network, on our California Local Programs in English and Spanish.
July 2023
We updated the link to the Virginia Victims Fund in English and Spanish on our Virginia Crimes page.
We created a new page called How to Use Our Website where we have short videos demonstrating how to browse WomensLaw.org, use our Email Hotline and chat with an attorney. Spanish coming soon!
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!
We updated 11 resources and added two new resources on our Maine Local Programs page. We also updated the resource on our Maine Statewide Programs. All changes made in English and Spanish.
We added three statutes related to protection from abuse orders to our Selected Maine Statutes page.
We translated into Spanish four questions with recent English revisions on our Colorado State Gun Laws page:
- I do not have an order of protection against the abuser and s/he has not been convicted of a crime. Can s/he have a gun?
- The abuser uses a gun for his/her job. Does the law still apply?
- I am a victim of domestic violence and the abuser has a gun. Is that legal?
- I have a protection order against the abuser. Can s/he have a gun?
We translated into Spanish our Maryland Housing Laws page.
We translated into Spanish the resource on our Kentucky Statewide Programs page.
We updated the information for fourteen resources and added two new resources on our Kentucky Local Programs page in Spanish and English.
We revised the Workplace Restraining Orders (Filed by Employers) page in English and Spanish to include a link to the newly-created Utah Workplace Violence Protective Orders page.
Based on 2022 legislative amendments, we did the following in English and Spanish:
- In our Utah Cohabitant Abuse Protective Orders, we revised the following questions:
- What is the legal definition of domestic violence and abuse in Utah? to add aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor as a ground for qualifying for an order;
- In our Utah Suing an Abuser page, we increased the limit from $11,000 to $15,000. We also added a note that the amount will increase to $20,000 on 1/1/25.
We regret the delay in making these changes. We also added the crime of “aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor” in English and Spanish to our Utah Crimes page and Selected Utah Statutes page.
We translated into Spanish nine questions with recent English revisions on our South Carolina State Gun Laws page and now the Spanish translation of the South Carolina Legal Information section is complete! That makes South Carolina the 30th state to be completely translated into Spanish on our website!
Based on 2023 legislative amendments, we revised two questions in our Utah State Gun Laws pages to add the following information:
- a person who has been convicted of committing or attempting to commit assault or aggravated assault against someone with whom s/he was involved in a dating relationship within the last five years cannot have a firearm unless specific exceptions apply;
- a person who has been convicted of the following cannot have a firearm:
- a violent felony;
- a domestic violence offense that is a felony;
- a felony or multiple felonies that are part of a single criminal episode that are not a domestic violence offenses or a violent felonies and within seven years after completing the sentence for the conviction, has been convicted of or charged with another felony or class A misdemeanor;
- multiple felonies that are not part of a single criminal episode;
- a person who has completed a sentence for any of the following within the last seven years cannot have a firearm:
- a conviction for a felony that is not a domestic violence offense or a violent felony; or
- convictions for multiple felonies that are part of a single criminal episode and are not domestic violence offenses or violent felonies.
Changes made in English; Spanish coming soon.
We translated into Spanish recent English revisions in the following questions on our Maine State Gun Laws page:
We updated a resource, A New Leaf, on our Arizona Local Programs page in English and Spanish.
Based on newly-enacted 2023 laws, we did the following:
- Added the crime of “parental kidnapping” to our Utah Crimes page in English and Spanish and to our Selected Utah Statutes page in English.
- Created a Utah Workplace Violence Protective Orders page in English with a brief summary of the order and a note that WomensLaw will create more information soon. (Spanish coming soon.)
- Added the eight new workplace violence protective order statutes to our Selected Utah Statutes page.
In out Utah Civil Stalking Injunctions page, we revised What is the legal definition of stalking? to include the definition of “emotional distress.” Based on a 2022 legislative amendment, we also indicated that it now includes psychological suffering that results from harm to an animal. (We regret the delay in adding the 2022 change.)
In our Utah Divorce section, we revised Can I get alimony? to clarify the following: 1) which factors the judge must consider vs. may consider; 2) information about which standard of living the judge will consider: at the time of marriage, time of separation, or time of trial; and 3) how the law defines the “length of marriage.” We also revised Will a judge consider who is at fault for the end of the marriage when making a decision about alimony? to clarify that the fault of one spouse can be considered in alimony only if it substantially contributed to the breakup of the marriage. Changes made in English; Spanish coming soon.
Based on 2023 legislative amendments, we revised two questions in our Ohio State Gun Laws section to reflect the new terminology in the law:
- changing ”mentally ill” to “a person with mental illness;”
- removing ”mental defective” as a descriptor;
- changing “drug-dependent” and “chronic alcoholic” to “has a drug dependency” and “has chronic alcoholism.”
Changes made in English and Spanish.
In our New York Suing an Abuser for Money page, we added the fact that the limit in NYC is $10,000 for small claims court, not $5,000 as it is in the rest of the state. We also added two related statutes to our Selected New York Statutes page.
Based on 2022 and 2023 legislative amendments, we did the following in English (Spanish soon to come!):
- In our New York Housing Laws section, we revised What protections do these housing laws offer? to add the fact that it is now illegal for a landlord or homeowner to refuse to sell, rent, or lease a home due to someone’s status as a victim of domestic violence.
- In our New York State Gun Laws section, we revised three questions to add the following:
- the definition for the ”good moral character” requirement when applying for a gun license;
- the additional restrictions for someone wants to get a license to carry a concealed firearm; and
- the fact that a person cannot get a gun license if s/he was the subject of a report made pursuant to section 9.46 of the Mental Hygiene Law.
We also added section 9.46 of the Mental Hygiene Law to our Selected New York Statutes page.
In our National Organizations - Financial Info/Economic Empowerment section, we updated the description and the link for the AllState Foundation in English and Spanish.
We updated a resource, Wac’ang’a Inc. - Sweetgrass Shelter, on our South Dakota Local Programs page.
We updated our resource when the Police Officer is the Abuser on the National Organizations page. Changes in English and Spanish.
June 2023
We added RedRover as a new resource to our Pet Safety page in English and Spanish.
We translated into Spanish the South Carolina Suing an Abuser for Money page.
We translated into Spanish the 35 resources on our Local Programs page for Utah.
We updated the contact information for three resources on our Local Programs page and one on our Statewide Programs page for Wisconsin.
We updated the contact information for one resource on our Local Programs page and one resource on our Legal Assistance page for Vermont.
We updated the contact information for one resource on our Virginia Local Programs page.
We updated the contact information for nine resources on our Texas Local Programs page.
We updated the contact information for four resources on our Pennsylvania Local Programs page.
We updated the contact information for two resources on our Oregon Local Programs page.
We updated the contact information for two resources on our Oklahoma Local Programs page.
We updated the contact information for five resources on our Utah Local Programs page.
We updated the contact information for 17 Ohio resources: one Statewide Program resource, four Local Programs resources, and 12 Legal Assistance resources
We updated the contact information for six resources on our New York Local Programs page.
We updated the contact information for 12 resources on our New Mexico Legal Assistance page.
We updated the contact information for two resources on our New Jersey Legal Assistance page.
We updated the contact information for a resource on our North Dakota Local Programs page.
We updated the contact information for five resources on our Local Programs page and one on our Statewide Programs for North Carolina.
We updated the contact information for five resources on our Montana Local Programs page.
We updated the contact information for two resources on our Mississippi Local Programs page.
We updated the contact information for a resource on our Minnesota Local Programs page.
We updated the contact information for three resources on our Michigan Local Programs page.
We updated the contact information for a resource on our Louisiana Statewide Programs page.
We updated the contact information for two resources on our Kentucky Local Programs page.
We updated the contact information for three resources on our Indiana Local Programs page.
We updated the contact information for two resources on our Illinois Local Programs page.
We updated the contact information for one resource on our Local Programs page and one on our Legal Assistance page for Idaho.
We updated the contact information for six resources on our Local Programs page and one on our Statewide Programs page for Hawaii.
We updated the contact information for three resources on our Georgia Local Programs page.
We updated the contact information for two resources on our Local Programs page and one on our Legal Assistance page for Florida.
We updated the contact information for a resource in Washington, D.C. Advocates and Shelters page.
We updated the contact information for three resources on our California Local Programs page.
We updated the contact information for one resource on our Local Programs page and one on our Legal Assistance page for Alabama.
We updated a resource, Have Justice-Will Travel (Bennington Office), on our Vermont Legal Assistance page in English and Spanish.
We updated a resource, Safe Place of Eastern South Dakota, on our South Dakota Local Programs page in English and Spanish.
We added one new resource, Centro de la Familia, on our Colorado Local Programs page in English and Spanish.
We created a new section with 11 questions about Maryland Housing Laws in English. Spanish coming soon!
We added one new resource, The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, on our National Organizations – Mental Health/Addiction page in English and Spanish.
We updated the information for 25 resources and added four new resources on our Wyoming Local Programs page in English and Spanish.
We updated information in Spanish and English for two resources on our Maine Local Programs page: Maliseet Domestic and Sexual Violence Advocacy Center and Passamaquoddy Peaceful Relations Domestic and Sexual Violence Advocacy Center.
We added a new resource, Eve’s Place Community Services, on our Arizona Local Programs page in English and Spanish.
We created a new question in our Utah Dating Violence Protective Orders section called What protections can I get in a dating violence protective order? in English and Spanish.
We added a link to NYC Hope to our New York City Legal Assistance page. We also added information about using the City’s 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline (800-621-HOPE) to find a shelter to our New York City Local Programs page. Both additions were made in English and Spanish.
We added two federal statutes on interstate domestic violence (18 USC § 2261) and stalking (18 U.S.C. § 2261A) to our Selected Federal Statutes page.
We created a new section with seven questions about Georgia Dating Violence Protective Orders in English and Spanish.
We added the NYC Family Justice Center’s Staten Island location in English and Spanish to our NY Places that Help page in the following sections: New York City Legal Assistance, New York City Programs, Legal Assistance, and Local Programs page.
We translated 20 questions on our South Carolina Restraining Orders page into Spanish, completing the translation of this page!
We updated information for one resource, Refuge House, on our Florida Local Programs page in English and Spanish.
We updated the information for fourteen resources on our West Virginia Legal Assistance page: twelve regional offices of Legal Aid of West Virginia; Mountain State Justice; and West Virginia Senior Legal Aid, Inc. We also added two new resources, Mountain State Justice-Morgantown Office and Mountain State Justice-Princeton Office. We updated information for the West Virginia Lawyer Referral Service on our West Virginia Lawyer Referral Services page. All changes made in English and Spanish.
In our Colorado State Gun Laws section, we added the questions I do not have an order of protection against the abuser and s/he has not been convicted of a crime. Can s/he have a gun? and The abuser uses a gun for his/her job. Does the law still apply? in the More Information and Where to Get Help section. We also revised the questions I am a victim of domestic violence and the abuser has a gun. Is that legal? in the Basic Info and Definitions section and I have a protection order against the abuser. Can s/he have a gun? in the Guns and Protection Orders section to clarify when a judge must include firearm restrictions in a domestic violence protection order (if, after reviewing the petition, the judge determines that an act of domestic violence took place and it involved physical force or the threat or attempt to use physical force). Changes made in English; Spanish coming soon!
May 2023
We updated the information for fourteen resources on our Iowa Legal Assistance page: nine regional offices of Iowa Legal Aid; Muscatine Legal Services; Legal Aid Society of Story County; Polk County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project; and Drake University Legal Clinic. We also added two new resources, Iowa Legal Aid Northeast Iowa Regional Office (Dubuque) and Iowa Legal Aid Legal Hotline for Older Iowans. We updated information for the Iowa State Bar Association Find-A-Lawyer Program on our Iowa Lawyer Referral Services page. All changes made in English and Spanish.
We updated the information for two resources, YWCA Utah and Midvale City Police Dept. - Victim Advocate Program, on our Utah Local Programs page in English. Spanish coming soon!
We added one new resource, Sierra Community House, to our Nevada Local Programs page in English. Spanish coming soon!
We added listings for the three California locations of one new resource, Sierra Community House, on our California Local Programs page. We also removed Tahoe Women’s Services because it merged with other organizations to form Sierra Community House. All changes made in English; Spanish coming soon!
We added one new resource, the Sexual Assault and Anti-Violence Information Office, to our Utah Local Programs page in English. Spanish coming soon!
Based on 2022 amendments to the laws, we did the following:
- Revised Who can file for an extreme risk protection order? in our New York Extreme Risk Protection Orders section to add a list of medical and mental health professionals who can file for an extreme risk protection order if they have treated the respondent within the prior six months. Changes made in English; Spanish soon to come.
- Revised If the judge orders the abuser’s guns to be taken away in my order of protection, how will they be taken away? in our New York State Gun Laws page in English and Spanish to explain that it’s mandatory, not optional, for the judge to order seizure of firearms if the respondent willfully fails to surrender them.
We also added two related statutes to our Selected New York Statutes page.
We updated the three resources listed in our Guam Finding a Lawyer page.
In our Florida Restraining Orders section, we created the question Can my injunction be extended, changed, or dismissed? in our Injunctions for Protection Against Repeat Violence, Dating Violence, or Sexual Violence section. We also revised a similar question in our Injunctions for Protection Against Stalking/Cyberstalking page and our Injunctions for Protection Against Domestic Violence page to add information about extension of orders; previously both questions only addressed changing and dismissing an order. Changes made in English and Spanish.
We revised What is the penalty for violating Kansas state gun laws? in our Kansas State Gun Laws section to add seven more possible violations of state firearms laws along with the possible criminal sentence for each. We also added three related statutes to our Selected Kansas Statutes page.
We added the following two questions to our Puerto Rico Sexual Violence Restraining Orders in English and Spanish: What should I do when I leave the courthouse? and I was not granted a protection order. What are my options?
We added a statute to the Selected California Statutes page that defines “cohabitant” for the purposes of qualifying for a domestic violence restraining order.
We added the crime of “unlawful sexual intercourse with person under 18” (statutory rape) to our California Crimes page in English and Spanish.
We translated into English the information in Spanish about Puerto Rico’s Sexual Violence Protection Orders.
In our Maine State Gun Laws section, we updated I am a victim of domestic violence and the abuser has a gun. Is that legal? and What is the penalty for violating state firearm laws? to clarify that anyone who has a protection from abuse order against him/her that prohibits him/her from having a firearm or other dangerous weapon- regardless of the relationship with the victim- would also be prohibited from having a firearm or dangerous weapon while that protection order is in effect. We also updated If the abuser’s gun is taken away, what will happen to it? to include information about what happens if the abuser turns over his/her gun to someone other than a law enforcement officer. Updated in English; Spanish coming soon!
