Portland Restraining Orders Attorneys

Restraining Order Laws in Oregon

A restraining order is put in place to protect you from harm and/or future harm. Such an order can keep the respondent away from you, order him/her to move, and can even dictate where the respondent can and cannot go. A restraining order can order temporary child custody and parenting time as well.

For assistance with filing a restraining order in Oregon, contact our Portland restraining order lawyer online or call Levine Law Center LLC at (503) 433-8340 today.

Oregon Restraining Order Requirements

The requirements to obtain a restraining order are as follows:

• You and the respondent must both be 18 years old
• The respondent must be your current or former spouse, registered domestic partner, someone related to you by blood, marriage, or adoption, or someone who has or had an intimate relationship with you
• The respondent must have physically injured you, attempted to physically injure you, or forced you to have sexual relations against your wishes
• You feel as if you and/or your children are in imminent danger

Types of Restraining Orders in Oregon

In Oregon, there are four types of court-issued protective orders:

1. Family Abuse Protection Act (FAPA) Orders – Domestic Violence

FAPA orders are available to every county in Oregon. Once issued, this order is effective for 1 year, unless terminated or extended. The court will hold a hearing, either in telephone or in person, the day of or the day after the victim files for a FAPA order.

2. Sexual Abuse Protective Order (SAPO) – Sexual Violence

Effective January 1, 2014, Oregon began issuing and enforcing orders for protection to individuals who had been sexually assaulted by someone other than an intimate partner. SAPO provides this protection for victims of sexual violence.

3. Stalking Protective Order

Under Oregon law, stalking occurs when:

• An individual scares you by engaging in repeated and unwanted contact
• A person makes an immediate family (or household) member afraid by engaging in repeated and unwanted contact

To qualify as stalking, your situation must also meet the following requirements:

• A reasonable person in your situation would have been alarmed or coerced by the contact, and
• The repeated (at least twice) and unwanted contact causes you or a member of your immediate family (or household) to reasonably fear for their physical safety

4. Elderly Persons and Persons with Disabilities Abuse Prevention Act (EPPDAPA) Restraining Order

To be eligible for a EPPDAPA you must be either 65 years or older and/or a person with a disability. A disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that limits daily life activities or a brain injury that results in loss of function for a sufficient time to affect your ability to perform daily life activities.

Additionally, in the last 180 days, the individual who committed the abuse must have done the following:

• Caused you physical injury or pain
• Neglected you, resulting in physical harm
• Abandoned, neglected, or deserted you
• Threatened you
• Made inappropriate sexual comments towards you
• Verbally abused you
• Forced you to engage in nonconsensual sexual content
• Wrongfully took money or property from you

You must also be in immediate and present danger of future abuse.

How to File a Restraining Order

The first step to filing a restraining order is to complete the appropriate paperwork. There is no fee to file a restraining order. You will then file your petition with the county clerk and await your hearing.

At this hearing, the judge will determine whether to grant the restraining order. The respondent has up to 30 days from the filing date to request a hearing to object the restraining order.