What’s New on WomensLaw.org

We changed our general, non-state specific custody information for Missouri into a state-specific section. There are now 8 new Missouri-specific questions on the Missouri Custody page!

We added one statute related to state gun laws to our Selected Montana Statutes page.

In our Preparing for Court - By Yourself section, in the question What are some common objections?, we added links to all 12 categories of objections to make them easier to locate within the question. Changes made in Spanish and English.

We changed our general, non-state specific custody information for Idaho into a state-specific section. There are now 10 new Idaho-specific questions on the Idaho Custody page!

Based on recent changes to the law, we reviewed and re-wrote the information on our Puerto Rico Divorce page. Spanish coming soon!

In our South Carolina Crimes page, we added the following 13 crimes and linked each to the actual language of the laws on our Statutes page: 

• criminal sexual conduct with minors in the 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd degree
• engaging a child for sexual performance
• producing, directing, or promoting sexual performance by a child
• assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct
• incest
• peeping, voyeurism, or aggravated voyeurism
• spousal sexual battery
• criminal sexual conduct when victim is spouse
• indecent exposure
• kidnapping
• trafficking in persons.

We reviewed and expanded the Ohio Custody section to include 4 new questions. Spanish translation coming soon.

We expanded the Connecticut Housing Laws to include 4 new questions for victims of domestic violence or sexual assault who need to terminate their lease for fear of immediate harm. Spanish translation coming soon.

We created a completely new section in our South Carolina Restraining Orders section called Permanent Restraining Orders (based on a criminal conviction). In the section, we created 10 questions to explain who can get the order, how to get it, and what protections it offers.

In response to an Email Hotline inquiry, we added Advocacy Center of Winona to our Minnesota Local Programs page.

On our South Carolina Download Court Forms page, we added specific links to the following court forms: petition for a domestic violence order of protection, “notice and motion” to extend a domestic violence order of protection, “complaint and motion” for a restraining order based on harassment and stalking, and motion to extend a restraining order based on harassment and stalking.

On our South Dakota Places that Help page, we updated 89 resources as follows: 5 Statewide Programs, 18 Local Programs, 66 Courthouse Locations. All updates were made in English and, for the first time, all resources were translated into Spanish!

We updated and reorganized our Kansas State Gun Laws section to make it more state law focused and easier to use. This included updates to 14 questions.

Because of a new law in Washington that allows a judge to consider litigation abuse when making a decision about custody, we added a new question in the Washington Custody section called Can the judge restrict the parenting plan based on the conduct of the other parent? The new question is in English, Spanish coming soon!

On our Tennessee Crimes page, we added a link to the law regarding an unwed mother having custody of a child if there is no court order alongside the crime of custodial interference. This way, our users can have a better understanding of whether the crime of custodial interference would apply to their situation.

We added five statutes to our Washington Selected State Statutes section. 

On our North Carolina Download Court Forms page, we added a link in English and Spanish to a motion for contempt for violating a 50-B order.

Thanks to help from ASISTA, we created a new question in our Refugee Status section in English, which is soon to be added in Spanish, called What are “grounds of inadmissibility”?

Thanks to help from ASISTA, we re-wrote nine questions in our Asylum section in English. Spanish soon to come.

We added two statutes on Substantial Risk Orders in Virginia to our Selected Virginia Statutes page.

On our Missouri Download Court Forms page, we added links to the following forms:

• petition for an order of protection due to domestic violence
• sexual assault or stalking 
• motion for renewal of a full order of protection 
• motion to dismiss a petition for an order of protection 
• request to terminate a full order of protection 
• motion to modify a full order of protection
• forms related to custody and visitation 
• forms related to small claims court.

We added seven crimes-related statutes to our Selected Mississippi Statutes page.

Based on an Email Hotline inquiry, we added the following crimes in English and Spanish to our Virginia Crimes page: ”Use of profane, threatening, or indecent language over public airways or by other methods“ and “Threats of death or bodily injury to a person or member of his family.” 

We updated and reorganized our Indiana State Gun Laws section to make it more state law focused and easier to use. This included updates to 20 questions in English! Spanish coming soon!

On our Michigan Download Court Forms page, we added links to two new forms: petition to change a minor child’s name and motion for contempt for violation of custody/parenting time. Changes were made in English and Spanish.

We added 12 crime-related statutes to our Selected Guam Statutes page.

We added 7 new statutes to our Selected Delaware Statutes page related to suing someone civilly for disclosing intimate images, justice of the peace courts, and strangulation.

Based on 2020 additions to the laws, we added information to What types of relief from abuse orders are available? How long do they last? in our Vermont Relief from Abuse Orders section as follows:

• We added the fact that if the abuser doesn’t appear at the final hearing, the temporary order can last until the abuser is served with the final order.
• We added the fact that if the victim doesn’t appear at the final hearing, the judge can choose to continue the final hearing for “good cause” to allow the victim another chance to appear instead of always having to dismiss the petition.

We also clarified that the final hearing is usually within 14 days of the temporary petition being granted in the question called Step 3: A judge will review your application 

We updated the links to the Paternity & Child Support Division of the Virgin Islands in three questions on our U.S. Virgin Islands Child Support page.

We updated the resources on our Minnesota Lawyer Referral Service page.

Based on 2020 additions to the law, we added information to Can I get alimony? regarding the obligation to prove a material change of circumstances to exercise one’s right to file for reserved support in the Virginia Divorce section. We added information about filing for expenses related to pregnancy and childbirth to How much child support will I get? in our Virginia Child Support section. In our Virginia Custody section, we added “child abuse” and “an act of violence, force, or threat” as additional factors considered by a judge to Can a parent who committed violence get custody? and How will a judge make a decision about custody? We also added a “clinical social worker” as one of the professionals who can suggest that the abusive parent not have access to the child’s records in Can a parent who does not have custody have access to the child’s records?Changes all made in English and Spanish.

We translated into Spanish the updated questions in our Maryland Restraining Orders section. 

In our Virginia State Gun Laws section, based on changes to the law, we revised If the abuser has been convicted of a crime, can s/he keep or buy a gun? and I do not have a protective order against the abuser and s/he has not been convicted of a crime. Can s/he own a gun? in English. Spanish soon to come.

We added a link to the Colorado Crime Victim Compensation program to our Colorado Crimes page in English and Spanish.

On our Rhode Island Places that Help page, we updated 25 resources as follows: 8 Statewide Programs, 8 Local Programs, 4 Legal Assistance, 1 Lawyer Referral Service, and 4 Courthouse Locations. All updates were made in English and, for the first time, all resources were translated into Spanish!

We translated into Spanish our Indiana Suing an Abuser page.

We translated into Spanish our recently added Title IX National Organizations page.

We translated into Spanish our recently added question called What steps do I have to take if I want to relocate? in our Colorado Custody page. 

We updated 4 programs on our Minnesota Statewide Programs page.

On our New Hampshire Download Court Forms page, we added links to forms for a domestic violence protective order, a parenting petition for custody, petition for divorce or joint petition for divorce, as well as many other forms on the New Hampshire Courts website.  In addition, we re-wrote the question How do I withdraw or extend my protective order? in our New Hampshire Protective Orders (due to domestic abuse) section to add links to a request for withdrawal, a request for an extension, and an objection to the extension of the order. We also added these three links to How long does a stalking protective order last? Can it later be extended or withdrawn? in our Stalking Protective Orders section.

On our Idaho Places that Help page, we updated 101 resources as follows: 5 Statewide Programs, 40 Local Programs, 10 Legal Assistance, 2 Lawyer Referral Service, and 44 Courthouse Locations.

We added seven questions to a Rhode Island Sexual Assault Protective Orders page.

We updated four questions in our Maryland Restraining Orders section, in English, based on changes in the law. Spanish coming soon!

Based on a change in the law, we updated the If the judge orders the abuser’s guns to be taken away in my order of protection, how will they be taken away? question in our New York State Gun Laws section, in English. Spanish coming soon!

We added 1 new resource to our Vermont Local Programs page, the Women’s Freedom Center in Windsor County, in English and Spanish.

In our Ohio Custody page, we updated links to outside information in English and Spanish in Where can I find more information about custody in Ohio?

We added eight questions to a Nevada High-Risk Protection Orders page in English. Spanish translation coming soon!

Based on a 2020 change to the law, we updated our Nebraska Suing an Abuser page to reflect that $3,900 is the new limit in small claims court. Previously the limit was $3,600. 

In our Georgia Custody section, we updated the links in English and Spanish to additional information in Where can I find more information about custody in Georgia? 

In Minnesota, we added one statute defining domestic violence advocate and sexual assault advocate to the Selected Minnesota Statutes page.

Based on a 2020 addition to Arizona law, we added information to What protections can I get in an order of protection? about the victim’s duty to notify the court if s/he moves out of the home after the abuser is excluded. Changes made in English and Spanish.

Based on a 2020 addition to the law, we updated How are firearms removed from a dangerous individual under this law? For how long are they removed? in our Indiana Firearms Seizure and Retention Law section.

We added the question When can a judge order that a parent be drug tested? to our Indiana Custody page.

On our U.S. Virgin Islands Places that Help page, we added 3 new resources as follows: 1 Legal Assistance and 2 Courthouse Locations. All additions were made in English and, for the first time, all resources were translated into Spanish!

We translated into Spanish our Indiana Custody section. 

We updated our Arizona Download Court Forms page in English and Spanish to link to the court website’s tool that helps petitioners fill out the order of protection form by answering a series of questions. 

We translated into Spanish our new Protection from Housing Discrimination page in our California Housing page.

We translated into Spanish our Motion for Reconsideration page in our Preparing for Court section. 

We translated into Spanish our newly added question entitled Can the judge order that I provide health care coverage? in our Massachusetts Child Support section.

We updated the links in our Puerto Rico Download Court Forms page in English and Spanish.

Based on changes in the law, we updated the Can a parent who committed violence get custody or visitation? question in our Tennessee Custody section, in English.

On our Alabama Places that Help page, we added 18 new resources as follows: 1 Statewide Program, 12 Local Programs, and 5 Courthouse Locations. All additions were made in English and, for the first time, all resources were translated into Spanish!

We translated into Spanish the recently updated the information on our general Restraining Orders page.

We translated into Spanish our new question called What are the legal definitions of domestic, sexual, and gender violence? to our Illinois Workplace Protections page.

We translated into Spanish five additional protections that can be included in a final order to our What protections can I get in an injunction for protection against stalking? question in our Florida Injunctions for Protection Against Stalking/Cyberstalking section.

We translated into Spanish our question about police officers removing firearms at the scene of a family offense in our New York State Gun Laws section.

Based on an Email Hotline inquiry, we added a statute on automatic restraining orders in divorce cases to our Selected Tennessee Statutes page.

We translated into Spanish our Colorado Extreme Risk Protection Orders page.

We translated into Spanish our newly created a Nevada Workplace Protections section.

We updated the link to sheriffs on our Alaska Sheriff Departments page and we translated the page into Spanish.

On our Wisconsin Places that Help page, we updated 123 resources as follows: 2 Statewide Programs, 54 Local Programs, 15 Legal Assistance, 1 Lawyer Referral Service, and 73 Courthouse Locations. We also updated the link to sheriffs on our Wisconsin Sheriff Departments page. All updates were made in English and, for the first time, all resources were translated into Spanish!