Maybe all that attention you got at the start of your relationship was gratifying. But now that you’re exes, that constant contact is starting to feel scary and possibly dangerous. If so, you may be wondering if there are laws in place to keep an unwanted follower away from you. The short answer is yes. This is a quick introduction to protective orders laws in Wisconsin.

Protective Orders Laws

Protective orders, also known as "restraining orders," are legally enforceable court documents that order the person named in the document to stay a certain distance away from the person seeking the protection. While most protective orders are used to protect abused spouses and exes from their abusers, they may also be used to keep stalkers away.

Wisconsin takes domestic violence very seriously and seeks to protect survivors of domestic violence and those who feel threatened with violence in domestic situations from further harassment and abuse. Protection orders and harassment restraining orders may not be a perfect deterrent in every harmful scenario, but they can provide a victim with some criminal recourse if an abuser violates an order.

In addition to standard protective orders, Wisconsin has temporary restraining orders, which be put in place in order to give the threatened person more time to request a longer-term order. Also, under federal protection order law, if you have a valid protection order issued by one state, Wisconsin and other states are required to honor and enforce that order.

Wisconsin Protective Orders Laws: Related Resources

Figuring out how to get a protective order and making sure it’s enforced can appear complicated. You can find more introductory information and resources on this topic by visiting FindLaw’s Orders of Protection and Restraining Orders section. You can also contact a Wisconsin domestic violence attorney if you would like legal assistance with a domestic violence or protective order matter.