Florida's four orders of protection against violence: distinguishing the difference.

As of July 1, 2003, Florida law provides for four distinct types of orders of protection against violence, also commonly known, locally and nationally, as restraining orders, and in Florida, legally called injunctions. These orders protect a person from domestic, repeat, dating, and sexual violence. This article surveys the differences between these four types of injunctive relief, and serves as a guide for practitioners to navigate their way through the four distinct causes of action. It is intended to be a primer on the law in this area rather than an in depth analysis.