Restraining Orders

Since you asked about whether or not a minor can get a restraining order against a parent in STATE, I wanted to give you some general information on this topic. On our website, we have general information about restraining orders, including information about who is eligible for a restraining order in STATE: LINK [INCLUDE THIS IF WE HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT CAN A MINOR GET AN ORDER: As you can see, in STATE, it [CHOOSE ONE: is / is not] possible for a minor to get an order] However, I am also not sure what types of protections a judge might or might not award as part of a restraining order filed by a minor against a custodial parent – for example, I am not sure whether or not a judge would exclude a parent from the home (which is one of the possible types of relief for restraining orders), especially if that would mean that there was no adult to supervise/support the minor in the home. You can read about the protections a person can get in a restraining order here if you wish: LINK TO SPECIFIC QU HOW CAN AN ORDER HELP ME. If you would like specific advice, we have contact information for free and paid lawyers in STATE: LINK

Further, in many states, Child Protective Services (the name may differ depending on the state) may get involved if there are allegations of child abuse in a home – I am not sure whether or not a minor filing for a restraining order and alleging abuse by a parent might trigger a response from this type of agency in your state. When Child Protective Services becomes involved, in some instances a child may be placed in foster care if the child is found to be in danger - sometimes, foster care can be with a relative and sometimes it may not be with a relative.

Also, I am not sure about your specific situation, but in many states, if a custodial parent is abusive to a child, the non-custodial parent or other adult guardian might file to modify/change the custody order based on the abuse (if there is a court custody order already). Some states may even allow for a minor to file something to ask the court to change an existing custody order, but again, I am not sure whether or not this is possible in your state. You could ask a lawyer (link above) for specific advice.

[ADD THIS IS WE ARE NOT SURE IF THE WRITER IS THE TEEN OR IF YOU KNOW S/HE IS THE TEEN, INCLUDE PARAGRAPH BUT START FIRST SENTENCE FROM “TALKING WITH A TRUSTED…”: Finally, I am not sure whether or not you are the minor in question, but if so, talking with a trusted adult (even if it’s not a lawyer) if you are experiencing abuse is very important. If you do not have someone that you are comfortable talking to about abuse, there are local and state programs with staff that specialize in domestic violence and abuse, and their contact information is here: LINK]