This is a Complaint pleading for use in litigation of the title matter. Adapt this form to comply with your facts and circumstances, and with your specific state law. Not recommended for use by non-attorneys.
This is a Complaint pleading for use in litigation of the title matter. Adapt this form to comply with your facts and circumstances, and with your specific state law. Not recommended for use by non-attorneys.
If you are facing severe online abuse, you may be able to request that a judge issue a restraining order to prevent the perpetrator from further harassing you. Restraining orders can provide a concrete remedy against persistent online abuse.
Use the “block sender” feature in your email service. This may not put an end to the abusive emails entirely, as a sender can always create a new email address from which to message you, but it's a place to start and will offer you a momentary reprieve.
A Protection From Intimidation Order (PFI) is for cases of harassment or stalking where the victim is under 18 and the abuser is over 18. Eligibility: Minors (under 18) who are being harassed or stalked by someone 18 or older. An adult (like a parent or guardian) must file the PFI for the minor.
Threatening or harassing emails may also be a basis for a restraining order against the abuser. To read about the types of restraining orders available in your state, select your state from the drop-down menu on our Restraining Orders page.
If your only form of communication with another person was via email, it is possible that a protective order could be issued based on the content of those emails.
Emails which contain threatening messages or content that causes the recipient distress, fear or anger may also qualify as email harassment. Furthermore, California online harassment law states that it is illegal to use an electronic device to repeatedly contact someone with the intention to harass or annoy them.
State to the court that you would like a restraining order and what you would like the court to order. Be as specific as possible. Examples: “I am asking the court to grant me a _____ month/year injunction.” “I want no contact in person, at home, by phone, at work, by mail or through third parties.”
If the judge decides that there was abuse and that there is also a credible threat to the plaintiff's safety, a final order of protection will be granted and will last for up to one year. The plaintiff will be directed to go to the clerks counter to wait for the order.
After the hearing, a judge can issue a protective order that lasts up to 18 months, and can later be renewed after a hearing in front of a judge. The parts of the protective order that tell the abuser to not abuse, harass, or interfere with you can last forever.