Legal Information: Tennessee

Restraining Orders

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Updated: 
December 6, 2022

What is the legal definition of domestic abuse?

For purposes of getting a protection order, “domestic abuse” is defined as when someone who has a specific type of relationship to you does any of the following:

  • physically hurts you, tries to physically hurt you, or puts you in fear of physical harm;
  • threatens you with serious physical harm;
  • physical restraint, which means s/he confines your movements or imprisons you in any way, such as locking you in a room;
  • destroys or damages your property on purpose; or
  • injures, attempts to injure, or puts you or your minor child in fear that s/he will injure any animal owned, possessed, leased, kept, or held by you or your minor child.1

1 TN ST § 36-3-601(1)

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