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 Lakeville family law firm with more than 60 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.

Contact the Firm

!
!
!

Appelhof, Pfeifer & Hart, P.A.

Address

20856 Holyoke Avenue,
P.O. Box 369,
Lakeville, Minnesota 55044

Phone

651-379-3024