Protective Orders Lawyer in League City

Protective Orders Attorney in League City, TX

Protective orders in League City, Texas are injunctions designed to protect parties who are facing violence or the threat of violence. In many circumstances, parties seek protective orders in cases involving domestic violence, which may also be described as intimate partner violence or family violence. Protective orders can have different functions, including preventing contact between parties, limiting a party’s ability to visit certain locations, or potentially restricting access to firearms. In Texas, there is more than one type of protective order, and protective orders can be sought and issued in connection with a divorce case or separate from a dissolution of marriage case. You should know that, regardless of the type of protective order you may be seeking or defending against, Texas law takes allegations of domestic violence and intimate partner violence extremely seriously. 

Whether you need assistance seeking a protective order or you need help defending against a protective order, you should get in touch with a League City protective orders attorney who can assist you. These cases can be complicated, and they can be difficult and contentious for many different reasons. At the Law Offices of Tad Nelson & Associates, we have experience handling a range of protective order cases, and we can speak with you today about your circumstances and your options. 

What is a Protective Order in League City, Texas?

The general aim of a protective order in Texas is to protect the party who seeks the order from violence, and to prevent the party who has been accused of violence from engaging in any further acts of violence. It is important to know that there are different types of protective orders under Texas law, and the type of order in your case will depend upon the situation. First, protective orders can be granted on an “ex parte” (or temporary) basis initially, and then a longer term protective order can be granted only after a hearing. Typically, when a person seeks an ex parte protective order, it will be granted if the person has sufficient evidence even though the party against whom the order was sought was not present to defend themselves. To receive an ex parte order, the party seeking the order must prove that “there is a clear and present danger of family violence.” It is important to know that ex parte protective orders only last for a very limited amount of time, and not to exceed 20 days. 

Beyond the different duration or temporality of protective orders, there are also protective orders specifically intended for domestic abuse or family violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and human trafficking. The type of protective order that a person will seek will depend on the relationship they have to the person against whom they are seeking the protective order.

Protective orders, also known more simply as POs, can do many different things. Under Texas law, a protective order may be able to order some or all of the following for the person against whom the protective was sought:

• Avoid making threats, engaging in harassing behavior, or attempting any forms of violence against the person who sought the order or their children or other family members;
• Stay away from the the workplace, school, home, or other location of the person who obtained the protective order;
• Turn over a firearm;
• Get regular drug testing;
• Enter into a substance abuse treatment program;
• Move out of the home of the person who sought the protective order; and/or
• Attend anger management counseling.

Who Has Access to Information About Protective Orders in League City or Elsewhere in Texas?

A recently passed law in Texas known as Monica’s Law creates a Protective order Registry that requires parties against whom protective orders have been issued to be identified in the Registry in many circumstances. According to the Texas Judicial Branch, the Registry “provides limited public access to protective orders when the protective person has authorized access,” but access is “subject to strict confidentiality standards to protect victims of family violence, stalking, sexual assault, and human trafficking.” 

The Registry gives “access to both applications and orders to other members of the justice community” as well, and it also “contains images of both applications and orders to facilitate more comprehensive investigation and enforcement.” Accordingly, if you seek a protective order in Texas, or if someone seeks a protective order against you, that information will likely be contained in the Registry and will be accessible to particular parties.

Steps to Take to Obtain a Protective Order in League City

If you want to obtain a protective order in League City based on fears of family violence, the Texas Family Code requires you to file a petition for a protective order and to be able to show the following elements cited in the statute:

• Family violence has occurred; and
• Family violence is likely to occur in the future.

The League City protective order attorneys at our firm can help you to gather the evidence you need in order to show that a protective order is necessary to keep you and your children safe.

How You Can Defense Against Allegations of Domestic Violence in a Protective Order Case in League City

What should you do if a spouse or an ex has sought a protective order against you? It will be critical to work with a lawyer to defend against the protective order. If the order is issued, you could face serious consequences that could include restrictions on child custody and parenting, and criminal charges in some circumstances. Our League City protective order lawyers can assist you in defending against false allegations and protecting yourself.

Contact a League City Protective Order Attorney

When you have questions about protective orders in Texas or you require assistance with a protective order case, it is essential to seek advice from an experienced and compassionate League City protective order lawyer. At the Law Offices of Tad Nelson & Associates, we know how complex family law cases can be that involve protective orders, and we recognize the importance of handling every protective order case with great care. Contact the Law Offices of Tad Nelson & Associates online today or reach us by phone at (281) 280-0100.