FAMILY LAW
Plano Protective Order Lawyers
Family Violence Makes Matters Urgent
Whether you need a Protective Order for the protection of you or your family, or you are the subject of a Protective Order requested for someone else’s benefit, our attorneys have decades of experience handling these sensitive matters.
A Protective Order is signed by a judge to prohibit a respondent from engaging in specific conduct for the safety of an applicant. Depending on the facts, the court can order the respondent to move out of a shared residence, stay away from the applicant’s home, school, or workplace, avoid future threats or violence, and stop all contact or harassment. Protective Orders are enforceable by law enforcement, and violations carry serious criminal consequences.
Why Clients Choose The Price Firm for Protective Order Matters
Protective Order cases move quickly, carry serious consequences, and often intersect with divorce, child custody, and criminal exposure. You need attorneys who understand both the legal standard and the courtroom realities.
Most Protective Orders require an adversarial hearing. The court expects proof – usually through live testimony and supporting evidence – before issuing a final order unless the respondent agrees. We help clients prepare affidavits, organize evidence, present testimony, and challenge weak or false allegations.
Whether you are applying for a Protective Order or defending against one, we focus on the long-term consequences as well as the immediate hearing. A Protective Order can affect safety, parenting time, housing, and criminal liability, which is why careful strategy matters from the start.
FAMILY LAW
Protective Order Matters We Handle
A Protective Order is intended to prevent future acts of violence. A judge may sign one after finding that family violence has occurred or been threatened and is likely to occur again in the future.
Depending on the circumstances, the order may require the respondent to move out of a shared residence, stay away from the applicant and the applicant’s family, avoid all contact, and refrain from future threats or harassment.
Restraining Orders are common in divorce and custody proceedings and can restrict conduct involving property, litigation, or communication. But they are not enforced by police in the same way a Protective Order is.
A Protective Order carries immediate law-enforcement consequences and potential criminal penalties for violation. A Restraining Order is generally enforced through the family court’s contempt power instead.
An Emergency Protective Order is often requested by law enforcement, a prosecutor, or a victim after an arrest involving family violence. These orders are typically issued by a magistrate and can go into effect quickly.
They usually last between 31 and 61 days, and longer when a deadly weapon or serious injury is involved. An Emergency Protective Order can only be modified by a judge, and violations can lead to immediate arrest.
Seeking a Protective Order requires a sworn application and detailed affidavit explaining why protection is necessary. The court may enter a Temporary Protective Order before the respondent is served and then set the matter for a hearing.
If someone has asked for a Protective Order against you, early legal counsel is critical. Depending on the facts, it may be possible to challenge the application, limit the requested relief, or seek dismissal entirely.
FAMILY LAW
Common Questions About Protective Orders
To qualify, you generally must show a qualifying relationship with the respondent – such as a blood relationship, shared household, shared child, or dating relationship – and prove that family violence has occurred in the past and is likely to occur again in the future.
The Texas Family Code defines Family Violence as an act intended to result in physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or sexual assault, or a threat that reasonably places another in fear that those things will happen, when committed by someone in the same household or in a dating relationship with the other person.
Generally, a Protective Order lasts two years, although some orders may last one year, longer than two years, or even for the respondent’s lifetime depending on the severity of the conduct, the harm involved, past abuse, and the likelihood of future abuse. In some situations, the court can extend an order before it expires.
If a respondent violates the order, call 911 immediately. If police have probable cause to believe the order was violated, an arrest can follow. If someone has asked for a Protective Order against you, speak with an attorney right away to discuss your options and prepare for the hearing.
