Protective orders, also called restraining orders, can be confusing, especially when you are in the middle of a very stressful situation. Mr. Harold helps clients who want to seek protective orders against family members or someone else as well as those who are defending themselves when someone is seeking a protective order again them. The Harold Law Firm brings significant experience in the area of civil litigation, making sense of domestic protective orders and other protective orders. You need someone you can count on and the Harold Law Firm makes sense out of the chaos to help you achieve your goals. When Mr. Harold handles such matters, he often works with a family law firm and lawyers to achieve the best possible result.
In 2011, the Virginia General Assembly enacted legislation that made a number of changes to the current protective order system. The legislative changes impact all facets of the protective order process: who may obtain protective orders, how the orders are issued by the courts, how the orders are enforced against the alleged abusers, and how violations of the orders are prosecuted.
As a result of the legislative changes:
- Protective orders are available to a wider class of victims for a wider range of threatening or violent conduct; they are no longer limited to victims of family abuse or to victims of specified criminal acts (stalking, sexual battery, aggravated sexual battery, or crimes resulting in serious bodily injury).
- The conduct or behavior requirements for obtaining family abuse protective orders are consistent with those for obtaining protective orders where there is no family or household relationship between the parties.
- The penalties for violating family abuse protective orders and protective orders are more consistent. This document explains the newly enacted legislative changes and discusses what those changes mean.
Do not leave your safety or the safety of your family to chance. When you need someone to help you understand your rights, make sense of the law for you and recommend a proven course of action, contact The Harold Law Firm.