WomensLaw serves and supports all survivors, no matter their sex or gender.

Legal Information

Court System Basics

Personal Jurisdiction

This page has information on what it means for a court to have “personal jurisdiction” over someone, especially over someone who lives in another state. There are many reasons why you might be living in a different state than a person who is abusing or harassing you. You may have fled to escape abuse or perhaps you moved to a new state for another reason. The fact that the abuser lives in a different state might create a problem when you try to get a restraining order against him/her or if you are trying to get other remedies from the court.