Washington County Family Law Firm Helps Victims Obtain Harassment Restraining Orders

Protecting victims of harassment in Washington County, Dakota County, Burnsville, Stillwater and Woodbury, MN

A Harassment Restraining Order can be sought against any harasser, regardless whether the victim and the harasser have a family or household relationship.

An Order for Protection is a court order applying only to domestic violence cases, which forbids the aggressor (respondent) from harming the victim (petitioner) or any children in the home. The court order might also ban the respondent from entering the home of the person seeking the Order for Protection. If you need a Harassment Restraining Order, or an Order for Protection, the family law attorneys at Appelhof, Pfeifer & Hart, P.A. can help.

What is a Harassment Restraining Order?

A Harassment Restraining Order can be sought by a victim of harassment to limit contact by a harasser. The purpose of the order is to:

Prevent further harassment
Order the harasser not to contact you and your family at any time
Allow police to arrest the harasser, without a warrant, for a violation of the order

What constitutes harassment in Minnesota?

To qualify for a Harassment Restraining Order, you must allege one or more of the following incidents of harassment:

A single incident of physical or sexual assault
Repeated incidents of intrusive or unwanted acts, words or gestures that have a substantial adverse effect or are intended to have a substantial adverse effect on your safety, security or privacy
Targeted residential picketing
A pattern of tailing you at public events, even after you have notified the harasser that you find his or her presence to be harassing

How do I get a Harassment Restraining Order?

The process starts when you or your attorney files an Affidavit and Petition for Restraining Order with the court. In the affidavit, you describe the dates, times, places, actions and conversations that lead you to feel harassed. You are responsible for providing the harasser’s name and address or other information that’s sufficient to allow the police to find the harasser. If the police cannot find the harasser to serve the petition, it can be served through publication in the local newspaper.

Based on your petition, the court can issue a temporary restraining order that is effective for as long as two years. If the harasser wishes to challenge your petition, he or she can request a hearing within 45 days of when you filed the petition.

Call our attorneys for help with a Harassment Restraining Order

Contact an Oakdale family law firm with more than 50 years of combined experience. Appelhof, Pfeifer & Hart, P.A. serves clients throughout Minnesota, including in Washington County, Dakota County, Burnsville, Eagan and Woodbury, MN. Call us at 651-379-3024 or contact us online to arrange an appointment.

Our Attorneys

Tori M. Appelhof

Partner

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Mary A. Pfeifer

Partner

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Kathy K. Hart

Partner

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Client testimonials

"Tori had a thorough understanding of my situation and made excellent recommendations to resolve my concerns. She was persistent on communication and handled everything in a very timely manner. I would definitely hire her again in the future if needed." - M.K.
"With Appelhof, Pfeifer & Hart, P.A., it is like having a family physician. They are all knowledgeable, thorough, comforting, and the only call I need to make for all my legal needs for many years to come. No matter what the matter, I totally trust their advice and commitment to me and my family." - J.N.
"Mary from APH Law helped me thru a difficult divorce. She and the entire staff was there for me every step of the way helping me on what to do next. They listened to what I wanted and helped me achieve what matter the most to me in the divorce settlement." - Dana C.
"I chose APH after my initial consultation with Mary. I felt my best interest would be represented. The entire process went excellent, the attorneys and staff communicated effectively and efficiently with me throughout the process as they needed to. Being new to the legal process and verbiage, they walked me and talked me through the next steps and the jargon, I felt completely comfortable and represented. I hope I never have to use legal services again but if I do I will call Mary at APH Law and know that I will be taken care of." - Jeff M.
"Divorce is a time of emotion and stress. Mary Pfeifer , My lawyer was professional and compassionate. She was very informative through the process. Her insight helped me in my decisions. She worked hard to obtain a settlement which was fair to both parties. Though, I hope I won't need her help again. It is reassuring to know a good person that is willing to help." - Rod S.
"I first came to Ms. Jacquelyn Lutz of Appelhof, Pfeifer and Hart in October of 2016. It was definitely the worst time in my life and she compassionately spoke with me about my options. Ms. Lutz thoroughly explained the laws, statutes, process and what to expect going forward. What was supposed to be one case, turned into three intricate cases that took a huge toll on me and my family. Ms. Lutz represented me in court on all three cases with a vast knowledge of the laws and how to proceed accordingly. During all three cases she kept me informed, calm, gave me resources to utilize, and (most important) gave me a realistic view of what may come next. Ms. Lutz knew each case required a great deal of knowledge and creative thinking on how to legally proceed forward with each case. My family and friends are forever grateful for the amazing representation by Ms. Lutz. I highly recommend Ms. Lutz for anyone needing or considering superb representation for any kind of family law. " - M.H.

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