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Rule 3 Definitions

Part I. General Administration

(a) “Domestic violence” means any act specified in A.R.S. § 13-3601(A) combined with any relationship listed in A.R.S. § 13-3601(A).

(b) “Ex parte” means a court procedure carried out for the benefit of one party, without notice to or the presence of the other party.

(c) “Harassment,” when applicable to an Injunction Against Harassment, means either of the following:

(1) a series of acts over any period of time that are directed at a specific person and that would cause a reasonable person to be seriously alarmed, annoyed, or harassed, and the conduct in fact seriously alarms, annoys, or harasses the person and serves no legitimate purpose. See A.R.S. § 12-1809(S); or

(2) one or more acts of sexual violence as defined in A.R.S. § 23-371.

(d) “Harassment,” when applicable to an Injunction Against Workplace Harassment, means a single threat or act of physical harm or damage or a series of acts over any period of time that would cause a reasonable person to be seriously alarmed or annoyed. See A.R.S. § 12-1810(S)(2).

(e) “Harassment,” when applicable to an Order of Protection or an Emergency Order of Protection, means conduct that is directed at a specific person and that would cause a reasonable person to be seriously alarmed, annoyed, humiliated, or mentally distressed, and the conduct in fact seriously alarms, annoys, humiliates or mentally distresses the person. See A.R.S. §§ 13-2921, 13-3601(A), and 13-3624(C).

(f) “Legal decision-making” means the legal right and responsibility of a parent to make major decisions for a child. Legal decision-making may be either joint with both parents or sole with one parent. See A.R.S. § 25-401(3).

(g) “Protective order,” as used in Rules 1 and 4 through 42, means an Order of Protection, an Emergency Order of Protection, an Injunction Against Harassment, or an Injunction Against Workplace Harassment, except that “protective order” as used in Rules 1 and 4 also includes an Order for Lifetime No-Contact Injunction issued under A.R.S. § 13-719(D).

Amendment history: Formerly Rule 1 in part, added Sept. 5, 2007, effective Jan. 1, 2008. Amended Sept. 16, 2008, effective Sept. 26, 2008. Adopted on a permanent basis effective Sept. 3, 2009. Amended Aug. 30, 2012, effective Jan. 1, 2013. Renumbered Rule 3 and amended Aug. 27, 2015, effective Jan. 1, 2016. Amended Aug. 27, 2019, effective Jan. 1, 2020. Amended on an emergency basis Aug. 25, 2021, effective Sept. 29, 2021, adopted on a permanent basis effective Jan. 1, 2022. Amended on an emergency basis Aug. 29, 2022, effective Sept. 24, 2022, permanently adopted Dec. 8, 2022, effective Jan. 1, 2023. Amended on an emergency basis Dec. 8, 2022, permanently adopted Aug. 24, 2023, effective Oct. 30, 2023; amended on an emergency basis Aug. 28, 2025, effective Jan. 1, 2026, permanently adopted effective Jan. 1, 2026.