Why is it so hard to get a restraining order? Only 1 in 5 granted in L.A. County

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Set us as preferred A restraining order can be a lifeline for a scared mother with a violent husband or someone being stalked by an ex-lover.But the path to getting one is “riddled with barriers and drop-out points,” according to L.A.County’s Office of Violence Prevention.The Times’ reporting on restraining orders was undertaken as part of the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism’s Domestic Violence Impact Reporting Fund and engagement initiative.A Times review of L.A.

County Superior Court data found that just 21% of requests for restraining orders are granted.Most cases are dismissed due to procedural issues, such as the applicant failing to appear in court or submit the proper paperwork on time.

Petitioners are required to complete multiple forms, collect evidence, serve the other party with the documents and spend hours at court hearings — often while dealing with abuse and balancing family and work obligations.The vast majority are self-represented, navigating the court system without the help of an attorney.In 2025, L.A.

County courts received nearly 15,000 petitions for domestic violence restraining orders and dismissed 57% of them due to procedural delays from the person making the request.This was the highest rate for any county in the state, according to a California Judicial Council report.

Statewide in the last fiscal year, the dismissal rate in the same type of cases was 29%.Attorneys at domestic violence organizations have said that L.A.’s higher rate may be caused by the sheer volume of requests, the relatively limited amount of legal assistance, and the challenges of administering a system spread across dozens of courthouses and law enforcement agencies.The Times examined the county’s restraining order process, compiling data from hundreds of thousands of cases, and interviewing dozens ...