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Legal Information: Delaware

Restraining Orders

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Laws current as of November 10, 2025

What does it mean to have a “substantive dating relationship”?

For the purposes of getting an order of protection, having a “substantive dating relationship” means that you and the abuser had a relationship that was more than casual. In other words, you were not just acquaintances or people who were simply friendly at work or in social situations.1

If the abuser disputes that you had the kind of dating relationship that could qualify for an order of protection, the judge may look at:

  • how long you were in a relationship;
  • the type of relationship you had; or
  • how often you interacted.1

1 Del. Code tit. 10, § 1041(2)(b)

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