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Legal Information: Tennessee

Restraining Orders

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Laws current as of November 27, 2023

What can I do if the abuser violates the order?

If you think the abuser has violated the order, you can call law enforcement, who will verify the existence of the order and may arrest the abuser. Violation of an elderly or vulnerable adult protection order is a Class A misdemeanor. You also have the option of filing for contempt in court to ask the judge who issued the order to punish the abuser.1

For more information about contempt, including the difference between criminal contempt and civil contempt, go to our general Domestic Violence Restraining Orders page.

1 See Tenn. Code §§ 71-6-124(d)(5), (e)(1), (e)(5); 36-3-610

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