Examples of court orders include injunctions, protective orders, contempt orders, writs of habeas corpus, writs of mandamus, child custody orders, wage garnishments, subpoenas, and consent decrees. Each one exists to solve a specific problem: stopping harmful conduct, protecting a person from abuse, forcing a government official to do their job, collecting on a judgment, or resolving a dispute the parties have already worked out. What ties them together is that every court order carries the force of law. Ignore one and you can face fines, jail, or both.
Injunctions
An injunction tells someone to do something or stop doing something. Courts issue injunctions when money alone would not fix the harm. There are three kinds, matched to how urgently relief is needed and how far the case has progressed.
Temporary Restraining Orders
A temporary restraining order, or TRO, is the fastest form of injunctive relief. A judge can issue one the same day, sometimes without notifying the other side, if the person asking for it shows they will suffer irreparable injury without immediate action. Because the other party may not have had a chance to respond, a TRO lasts only 14 days by default, with the possibility of one 14-day extension. Its job is to freeze the situation long enough for a proper hearing on whether a longer-lasting order is warranted.1Legal Information Institute. Temporary Restraining Order
Preliminary Injunctions
A preliminary injunction preserves the status quo while a lawsuit works its way through trial. Unlike a TRO, it can only be granted after a hearing where both sides present arguments. In Winter v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. (2008), the Supreme Court set the four-factor test: the person seeking the injunction must show a likelihood of winning at trial, a likelihood of irreparable harm without relief, that the balance of hardships tips in their favor, and that the injunction serves the public interest.2Justia U.S. Supreme Court Center. Winter v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., 555 U.S. 7 (2008)
Anyone who obtains a preliminary injunction must post a bond. If the injunction turns out to have been wrongly granted, that bond compensates the other side for losses suffered while the order was in effect.3Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 65 – Injunctions and Restraining Orders
Permanent Injunctions
A permanent injunction is issued after a full trial, when the court concludes that ongoing or future harm requires a lasting remedy. If a company has been infringing a competitor’s trademark, a permanent injunction may bar it from ever using the confusingly similar branding again. Courts grant them only when money damages are genuinely inadequate and the plaintiff has proven the case on the merits. Despite the name, permanent injunctions can sometimes be modified later if circumstances change significantly.
Equitable Defenses
Because injunctions come from equity rather than strict legal entitlement, a defendant can sometimes defeat one by attacking the plaintiff’s own conduct. The most common defense is unclean hands, meaning the plaintiff behaved improperly in the very matter they now want the court to fix. A second defense, laches, argues that the plaintiff waited so long to seek relief that granting it would be unfair. Neither is automatic, and the plaintiff’s misconduct has to be directly connected to the dispute for it to matter.
Protective Orders
Protective orders shield a person from harassment, stalking, or threats of violence by legally restricting how the named respondent can behave. They are common in domestic violence, stalking, and elder abuse cases. A typical order bars the respondent from contacting or coming within a set distance of the person who requested it. Violating one is a criminal offense that can lead to arrest on the spot.
The process starts with the person seeking protection filing a petition describing the threat. A judge may issue a temporary order the same day, then schedule a full hearing where both sides present evidence. The temporary order stays in place until that hearing.
Cross-State Enforcement
Federal law requires every state, tribe, and territory to honor protective orders issued elsewhere, as long as the issuing court had jurisdiction and the respondent received notice and an opportunity to be heard. No registration in the enforcing state is needed. If you move across state lines, your protective order travels with you.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 2265 – Full Faith and Credit Given to Protection Orders
Firearm Restrictions
A protective order can trigger a federal ban on possessing firearms. The order qualifies if it was issued after a hearing the respondent had notice of and could participate in, restrains the respondent from threatening or harassing an intimate partner or that partner’s child, and either includes a finding of credible threat of physical harm or explicitly prohibits the use of physical force. Anyone subject to a qualifying order cannot legally ship, transport, or possess any firearm or ammunition under federal law.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts
Contempt Orders
When someone defies a court’s authority, a contempt order is the enforcement mechanism. Contempt splits into two categories with very different goals.
Civil Contempt
Civil contempt is designed to force compliance, not to punish. The classic example is a parent who refuses to pay court-ordered child support. A judge can impose fines or jail time, but the person holds the key to their own release. The moment they comply with the original order, the sanction lifts. Courts sometimes describe this as the contemnor carrying the keys to the jail in their own pocket.6Legal Information Institute. Contempt of Court, Civil
Criminal Contempt
Criminal contempt punishes conduct that has already happened, like screaming at a judge during a hearing or deliberately destroying evidence after a preservation order. Because it is punitive, the penalties are fixed and do not go away if the person later cooperates. A person facing criminal contempt is entitled to protections similar to those of a criminal defendant, including the presumption of innocence and proof beyond a reasonable doubt.7Legal Information Institute. Contempt of Court
Direct Versus Indirect Contempt
Contempt is also classified by where it happens. Direct contempt occurs in the judge’s presence, such as a witness refusing to answer a question on the stand. The judge can impose a sanction immediately. Indirect contempt happens outside the courtroom, like violating a protective order or ignoring a subpoena, and requires a separate hearing where evidence is presented before any penalty is imposed.6Legal Information Institute. Contempt of Court, Civil
Writs of Habeas Corpus
A writ of habeas corpus forces the government to justify why it is holding someone in custody. It is one of the oldest protections against unlawful imprisonment. Federal law authorizes the Supreme Court, federal district courts, and circuit judges to grant the writ, and it reaches both federal and state prisoners whenever a person is held in violation of the Constitution, federal law, or a treaty.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 U.S. Code 2241 – Power to Grant Writ
Filing Deadline
The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act imposes a one-year filing deadline for federal habeas petitions. The clock generally starts when the state court conviction becomes final, though it can start later if the claim is based on a newly recognized constitutional right or on facts the petitioner could not have discovered earlier through reasonable effort.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 U.S. Code 2244 – Finality of Determination
Exhaustion of State Remedies
A state prisoner cannot jump straight to federal court. Federal law requires the petitioner to first exhaust all available state court remedies, meaning the claim has to be pursued through every level of state appellate review. The only exceptions are when no state process exists or when the available process cannot effectively protect the person’s rights.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 U.S. Code 2254 – State Custody; Remedies in Federal Courts
Writs of Mandamus
A writ of mandamus orders a government official or agency to carry out a duty they are legally required to perform. It is a remedy of last resort, available only when there is no other adequate way to compel the action. The distinction matters: if a statute says an agency “shall” issue a license when requirements are met, mandamus can force the agency’s hand. If the statute says the agency “may” issue a license, mandamus usually cannot.11Legal Information Institute. Mandamus
To obtain the writ, the petitioner must show three things: a clear legal right to the action demanded, a clear duty on the part of the official to perform it, and no other adequate remedy. Mandamus petitions come up in situations like an agency sitting on a license application for months or an official refusing to certify results despite every legal requirement being met.
Child Custody Orders
Child custody orders determine which parent makes decisions about a child’s upbringing and where the child lives after a separation or divorce. Courts evaluate these arrangements based on the child’s best interests, weighing factors like age, emotional bonds with each parent, the stability of each home environment, and each parent’s ability to provide care.
Legal custody covers decision-making authority over education, healthcare, and religious upbringing. Physical custody determines where the child lives day-to-day and how visitation works. A court may award either type jointly or solely. Joint legal custody is common even when one parent has primary physical custody, since it keeps both parents involved in major decisions.
Modifying a Custody Order
A custody order is not necessarily permanent. If circumstances change meaningfully, either parent can ask the court to modify it. Judges look for concrete changes like a parent relocating, a significant shift in the child’s needs, or a change in one parent’s ability to provide a safe home. The requesting parent bears the burden of showing both the changed circumstances and why the modification serves the child’s best interests.
International Abduction
When a parent takes a child across international borders in violation of a custody order, the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction provides a framework for getting the child returned. Courts can issue a return order if the child is under 16 and was wrongfully removed from the country where they habitually lived. The left-behind parent must prove the removal violated their custody rights by a preponderance of the evidence. The abducting parent can raise defenses, including that returning the child would expose them to a grave risk of physical or psychological harm, but that defense has to be proven by the higher clear and convincing evidence standard.
Garnishment Orders
A garnishment order lets a creditor collect a debt directly from the debtor’s wages or bank account after winning a court judgment. The court issues the order to the debtor’s employer or bank, which is then legally obligated to withhold the specified amount and send it to the creditor.
Federal Limits on Wage Garnishment
Federal law caps how much of a worker’s paycheck can be garnished for ordinary consumer debts. The limit is the lesser of two amounts: 25% of disposable earnings, or the amount by which weekly disposable earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1673 – Restriction on Garnishment With the federal minimum wage at $7.25 per hour, that threshold works out to $217.50 per week. If someone earns less than $217.50 in disposable wages for the week, their pay cannot be garnished at all.
Exempt Income
Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, veterans’ benefits, federal student aid, and military pay are generally protected from garnishment by private creditors, even when the creditor has a court judgment. The federal government can still garnish Social Security for specific debts like unpaid taxes or defaulted federal student loans, and child support or alimony obligations can also reach these benefits.13Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Can a Debt Collector Take My Federal Benefits, Like Social Security or VA Payments?
One practical detail: these protections work best when benefits are direct-deposited. If you deposit a Social Security check manually, the bank may not automatically recognize the funds as protected, and your entire account balance could be frozen until you go to court and prove the money came from a protected source.13Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Can a Debt Collector Take My Federal Benefits, Like Social Security or VA Payments?
Employer Responsibilities
An employer who receives a garnishment order cannot ignore it. Failing to withhold wages as directed can make the employer liable for the amount that should have been withheld. Employers are also prohibited from firing an employee because a single garnishment order has been issued. An employer who willfully fires someone over one garnishment can face criminal prosecution, including fines and up to one year of imprisonment.14U.S. Department of Labor. Employment Law Guide – Wage Garnishment
Subpoenas and Discovery Orders
Before a case goes to trial, both sides gather evidence through discovery. When one side refuses to cooperate, the court steps in with orders that force the issue.
Subpoenas
A subpoena is a court order directing a person to testify, produce documents, or allow inspection of a property. In federal court, a subpoena can be issued by the court clerk or by an attorney admitted to practice before the issuing court. The person served must receive witness fees for one day’s attendance plus mileage, unless the subpoena is issued on behalf of the federal government. A subpoena can generally compel attendance only within 100 miles of where the person lives, works, or regularly conducts business.15Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 45 – Subpoena
Ignoring a subpoena is not a viable strategy. A person who fails to comply without a valid excuse can be held in contempt. At the same time, the party issuing the subpoena must take reasonable steps to avoid imposing undue burden on the recipient, and a court can sanction an attorney who abuses the process.15Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 45 – Subpoena
Motions to Compel
When a party refuses to answer interrogatories, produce documents, or otherwise cooperate with discovery, the other side can file a motion to compel. Before filing, the requesting party must certify a good-faith effort to resolve the dispute without court intervention. If the judge grants the motion, the non-complying party is typically ordered to pay the requesting party’s reasonable expenses, including attorney’s fees, unless the original refusal was substantially justified.16Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 37 – Failure to Make Disclosures or to Cooperate in Discovery; Sanctions
Discovery Protective Orders
Discovery can expose trade secrets, proprietary data, or deeply personal information. A party concerned about this can ask the court for a discovery protective order, which limits who can see specific materials or how they can be used. The requesting party must demonstrate good cause, showing a clearly defined and serious injury would result from unrestricted disclosure, not just vague embarrassment. In cases involving trade secrets, courts sometimes issue attorney-eyes-only designations that prevent even the opposing party from seeing the protected material directly.
Consent Decrees
A consent decree is a court order that both parties have agreed to. Instead of fighting a case to a final verdict, the parties negotiate a resolution and ask the court to approve it. Once the judge signs off, the agreement carries the same force as any other court order, and violating it can trigger contempt proceedings.
Consent decrees are common when the government sues a company for regulatory violations. The company agrees to stop the illegal conduct, and the government agrees not to pursue the case further. The court retains ongoing authority to enforce the agreement, which provides more teeth than a private settlement alone. Because both sides consented, a consent decree generally cannot be appealed. It can be set aside only if one party committed fraud or if both parties made a mutual error.17Legal Information Institute. Consent Decree
Getting a Court Order Changed or Set Aside
A court order is not always the final word. Federal rules provide several grounds for asking a court to set aside or modify a judgment after it has been entered: mistake or excusable neglect, newly discovered evidence that could not have been found earlier through reasonable effort, fraud or misrepresentation by the opposing party, a determination that the judgment is void, or satisfaction of the underlying obligation. There is also a catch-all for any other reason that justifies relief, though courts interpret that narrowly.18Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 60 – Relief from a Judgment or Order
Timing matters. Motions based on mistake, new evidence, or fraud must be filed within a reasonable time and no more than one year after the judgment was entered. Motions based on the other grounds must still be filed within a reasonable time, with no fixed outer limit. Separately, a party can appeal a court order to a higher court, but appellate deadlines are much shorter, often 30 days from the date the order was entered.