A restraining order is essentially a court order prohibiting certain behaviors. Most people are familiar with restraining orders issued to address domestic violence or stalking. People who have experienced abuse or harassment can ask the courts to protect them.
However, there are scenarios in which people may need to avoid certain types of conduct other than overt physical abuse, stalking or harassment. For example, during the early stages of divorce, people often worry about the possibility of financial misconduct that could lead to an unfair financial outcome.
Automatic restraining orders help protect people from financial misconduct and do not require any evidence of domestic violence or harassment.
Automatic orders address financial matters
Automatic restraining orders do not prohibit spouses from communicating with one another or force one spouse to leave the marital home. They address marital assets.
They can prevent one spouse from accumulating significant debts using marital lines of credit or selling marital assets before the completion of the divorce process. Automatic restraining orders help prevent the malicious dissipation of marital property.
Some people might waste resources or accrue debt in an attempt to manipulate the outcome of a divorce. Automatic restraining orders issued in the early stages of divorce proceedings help limit opportunities for misconduct. Spouses who believe that their assets could be at risk or who have already noticed a pattern of inappropriate spending, possibly due to infidelity on the part of the other spouse, may benefit from seeking court orders protecting the resources.
Discussing the rules that govern divorce proceedings and spousal activities with a skilled legal team is while divorce pending can help people protect themselves. Automatic restraining orders can lay the foundation for a better life after divorce by preventing financial misconduct.
