There are no court fees associated with Family/District Court Restraining Orders. Service is also free if the Defendant resides in Rhode Island. There may be a service fee if he/she resides outside the state of Rhode Island.
To obtain a Family or District Court restraining order, you must complete the required paperwork, including an affidavit describing the specific ways that the defendant physically or sexually abused you, threatened to abuse you, or stalked you.
No Contact Order violation charges should not be taken lightly. If you violate a No Contact Order in Rhode Island, you face up to 1 year in prison for a first offense. For a third (or greater) offense, you can be charged with a felony, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 1 year in prison.
An injunction is a court order requiring a person to do or cease doing a specific action. There are three types of injunctions: Permanent injunctions, Temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions. Temporary restraining orders (TRO) and preliminary injunctions are equitable in nature.
? If you are the victim or complaining witness and wish to drop the No Contact Order, you must speak to a Domestic Violence advocate in order to appear before a Judge to drop the order.