Iowa: Restraining Orders

This section defines domestic abuse for the purposes of getting a protective order. Domestic abuse is when someone who you have a specific relationship with commits assault against you,¹ which is defined as:

• any act that is intended to cause you pain or injury;
• any act that is intended to result in physical contact, which will be insulting or offensive to you;;
• any act that is intended to place you in fear of immediate physical contact, which will be painful, injurious, insulting, or offensive; 
• intentionally pointing any firearm toward you or displaying any dangerous weapon towards you in a threatening manner; or
• intentionally pointing a laser showing a visible light beam at you with the intent to cause you pain or injury.²

¹ IA ST § 236.2(2)
² IA ST § 708.1(2)

A temporary order can contain anything that the judge thinks is necessary to protect you from domestic abuse, including temporary custody or visitation orders. The judge is supposed to keep in mind the safety of you and your children when deciding visitation. If the court finds that the safety of you or your children will be endangered with unsupervised visitation, the judge should restrict visitation, have it supervised, or deny visitation entirely. The judge should also determine whether any other existing orders awarding custody or visitation rights should be modified. Temporary orders also must specifically include a notice that the abuser may be required to give up all firearms, offensive weapons, and ammunition if a permanent order is issued. The judge can also give you the possession of any pets or companion animals that are owned or kept by you, the abuser, or by a minor child of either of you and the judge can prohibit the abuser from coming near the animal, taking it, harming it, threatening it, etc.¹

In a permanent order, the judge can order the abuser to:

• stop abusing you;
• leave the house or apartment where you are living together or provide suitable alternate housing for you;
• stay away from your home, school or job;
• not have in his/her possession any firearms, weapons, and ammunition;
• pay child and spousal support;
• attend counseling; (Note: the judge can also order you and your children to attend counseling as well); and
• pay your attorney’s fees and costs.²

The judge can give you:

• temporary custody of your children and give visitation to the abuser. Note: The judge is supposed to keep in mind the safety of you and your children when deciding visitation. If the court finds that the safety of you or your children will be endangered with unsupervised visitation, the judge should restrict visitation, have it supervised, or deny visitation entirely. The judge should also determine whether any other existing orders awarding custody or visitation rights should be modified.² The judge can also grant you exclusive care, possession, or control of any pets or companion animals. The animals can belong to you, the abuser or a minor child of you or the abuser. The judge can also order the abuser to stay away from the animals and not take, hide, bother, attack, threaten, or otherwise get rid of the pet or companion animal.³

Whether a judge orders any or all of the above depends on the facts of your case.

¹ IA ST § 236.4(2)-(4)
² IA ST § 236.5(1),(4)
³ IA ST § 236.5(1)(b)(7)

Si el/la agresor/a vive en un estado diferente al suyo, el/la juez/a podría no tener “jurisdicción personal” (poder) sobre ese/a agresor/a. Esto significa que es posible que el tribunal no pueda otorgar una orden en contra de él/ella.

Hay algunas formas en las que una corte puede tener jurisdicción personal sobre un/a agresor/a que es de otro estado:

1. El/la agresor/a tiene una conexión sustancial a su estado. Quizás el/la agresor/a viaja regularmente a su estado para visitarlo/a, por negocios, para ver la familia extendida, o el/la agresor/a vivía en su estado y huyó recientemente.
2. Uno de los actos de maltrato “ocurrió” en su estado. Quizás el/la agresor/a le envía mensajes amenazantes o le hace llamadas acosadoras desde otro estado pero usted lee los mensajes o contesta las llamadas mientras usted está en su estado. El/la juez/a puede decidir que el maltrato “ocurrió” mientras estaba en su estado. También puede ser posible que el/la agresor/a estaba en su estado cuando le maltrató pero desde entonces se fue del estado.
3. Otra forma para que la corte adquiera jurisdicción es si usted presenta su petición en el estado donde usted está, y el/la agresor/a recibe notificación de la petición de la corte mientras él/ella está en ese estado.

Sin embargo, aunque nada de esto aplique a su situación, eso no necesariamente significa que usted no pueda conseguir una orden. A usted le pueden dar una orden por consentimiento o el/la juez/a puede encontrar otras circunstancias que permitan que la orden sea dada. Puede leer más sobre jurisdicción personal en nuestra sección de Asuntos Básicos del Sistema Judicial - Jurisdicción Personal.

Nota: Si el/la juez/a de su estado se niega a dar una orden, usted puede pedir una orden en la corte del estado donde vive el/la agresor/a. Sin embargo, recuerde que es probable que usted necesite presentar la petición en persona y asistir a varias citas en la corte, lo cual podría ser difícil si el estado de el/la agresor/a es lejos.