Domestic violence: ex parte orders.

Existing law authorizes a court to issue various ex parte orders, including, among other orders, orders enjoining a party from assaulting, contacting, coming within a specified distance of, or disturbing the peace of the other party, or excluding a party from a dwelling or enjoining a party from specified behavior that the court determines is necessary to effectuate these orders. This bill would prohibit a petition for an ex parte order for the purposes described above from being denied solely because the other party was not provided with notice. The bill would also authorize, if at the time of a hearing with respect to an order based on an ex parte temporary restraining order the court determines that, after diligent effort, the petitioner has been unable to accomplish personal service, and that there is reason to believe that the restrained party is evading service, the court to permit an alternative method of service designed to give reasonable notice of the action to the respondent, as specified.