What’s New on WomensLaw.org

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!

We added three statutes related to protection from abuse orders to our Selected Maine Statutes page.

We translated into Spanish our Maryland Housing Laws page.

We updated the information for fourteen resources and added two new resources on our Kentucky Local Programs page in Spanish and English.

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 which county can I file for a protective order? to add that a petitioner can file in the county where s/he is living temporarily;
  • What protections can I get in a cohabitant abuse protective order? to add that the judge can order the abuser to not physically injure, threaten to injure, or take possession of a household animal that is owned or kept by the petitioner or the respondent;
• 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. 

Based on 2023 legislative amendments, we revised two questions in our Utah State Gun Laws pages to add the following information:

1. 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;
2. 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;
3. 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 updated a resource, A New Leaf, on our Arizona Local Programs page in English and Spanish.

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.)

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” to “has a drug dependency”; and
• changing “chronic alcoholic” to “has chronic alcoholism.”

Changes made in English and Spanish.

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.

We updated a resource, Wac’ang’a Inc. - Sweetgrass Shelter, on our South Dakota Local Programs page.

We translated into Spanish the 35 resources on our Local Programs page for Utah.

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 nine resources on our Texas Local Programs page.

We updated the contact information for two resources on our Oregon Local Programs page.

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

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

We updated the contact information for two resources on our New Jersey Legal Assistance 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 two resources on our Mississippi Local Programs page.

We updated the contact information for three resources on our Michigan Local Programs page.

We updated the contact information for two resources on our Kentucky Local Programs page.

We updated the contact information for two resources on our Illinois Local Programs page.

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 two resources on our Local Programs page and one on our Legal Assistance page for Florida.

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

We updated a resource, Have Justice-Will Travel (Bennington Office), on our Vermont Legal Assistance 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 added one new resource, The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, on our National Organizations – Mental Health/Addiction 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 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 two federal statutes on interstate domestic violence (18 USC § 2261) and stalking (18 U.S.C. § 2261A) to our Selected Federal Statutes page.

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 into Spanish the South Carolina Custody and Crimes pages.

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.

We added one new resource, Sierra Community House, to our Nevada Local Programs page in English. Spanish coming soon!