A restraining order is a legal order issued by a state court, which requires one person to stop harming another. In New Jersey, there are domestic violence restraining orders and sexual assault restraining orders (also known as sexual assault protective orders), which are explained here.

This section has basic information about divorce in New Jersey. You will find more information about divorce, including the risks of taking your children out of state while a divorce is pending, on our general Divorce page. To watch brief videos about divorce in Spanish with English sub-titles, go to our Videos page. Lastly, learn more about the court process on our Preparing for Court – By Yourself page.

Even if you do not qualify for a restraining order, the abuser may have committed a crime. If you call the police, they may arrest him/her for a crime and you may get a restraining order through the criminal court. Remember that even if you do have a restraining order, you can still report him/her to the police if you believe s/he committed a crime against you.

You may have a right to seek justice from the abuser through the court system where you live. When people are injured by others, they are permitted to seek what the law refers to as “damages,” in the form of money, for such things as medical bills, lost wages or employment, physical and emotional pain and suffering, and, in some cases, to punish the abuser.