Restraining Orders

A protection order can do the following:

• Give you temporary custody of minor children;
• If you are staying in a shelter for victims of domestic violence, suspend the family relationship between the minor children and the abuser (after consideration of many factors specified by the law);
• Order the abuser to vacate the home that you share with him/her;
• Order the abuser to refrain from bothering, harassing, following, intimidating and threatening you and order him/her to not interfere with the temporary custody of the children;
• Order the abuser to stay a certain distance away from wherever you are;
• Order the abuser to pay support for the child(ren) and for you, if s/he is legally obligated to do so;
• Prohibit the abuser from disposing of your private property or of any joint property;
• Order the abuser to pay for damages caused by the acts of domestic violence, including:
  • moving expenses,
  • expenses for property repairs,
  • legal, medical, psychiatric, psychological, counseling, lodging, shelter and other similar expenses;
• Order the abuser to temporarily hand over to the police of Puerto Rico any firearm that s/he owns and suspend any license to operate a firearm that they may have;
• Prohibit the abuser from denying you access to the children or from taking them outside of Puerto Rico; and
• Order anything else that the judge believes can benefit your safety or that of your family.¹

¹ See 8 L.P.R.A. § 621