Domestic Violence Restraining Order Lawyer in Arlington, Virginia
May Law LLP deals with a lot of criminal charges, whether it is a misdemeanor or a felony. A criminal conviction can affect your life in lasting ways, and can even affect your family members, so we take these matters very seriously.
May Law LLP has been serving clients since 1995, in Fairfax, Virginia and practice across Northern Virginia. From dealing with civil litigation, contract law, criminal law, employment law, business law, alcohol beverage control law to family law, there is a lawyer at May Law LLP that can serve as your domestic violence restraining order lawyer in Arlington, VA.
What Is A Domestic Violence Restraining Order?
A domestic violence restraining order is a type of protective order, which is a legal document issued by a judge or magistrate to protect the health or safety of somebody who is believed to be a victim of any act that involves violence, force, threat that results in bodily harm or causes the person to fear for their life, and of course protects against sexual assault or bodily injury.
Who Is Eligible For a Protective Order?
Protective orders of any kind can be confusing, especially if you are on the accused end of a false one. However, for a claimant to be eligible to receive a protective order, you must have experienced an act of violence that results in bodily injury, places you in danger for fear of death, sexual assault or bodily injury as per Virginia Code 19.2-152.10.
For someone to acquire a protective order against you, they must file a petition for a protective order with the court. Typically, this is going to be the domestic relations court or circuit court, however there are always exceptions. After filing for this protective order, the judge is going to review the request, and may grant a temporary order. After that the police will be notified of the preliminary (or temporary) order, and a notice of a hearing for this particular order. You, as the accused, must receive a notice and be served with these papers before a hearing can take place.
Oftentimes the hearing takes place within fifteen days, and you have to be there, as the accused person on file, if you do not show up to the hearing, the judge will most likely continue the hearing without you and reissue and schedule a new hearing. If the person that accused you does not show up to the hearing, the order is dissolved and they have to start over again.
What To Do When You’re Accused Wrongly
When you are the recipient of a protective order such as a domestic violence restraining order, you will want to obtain a domestic violence restraining order lawyer in Arlington, VA to represent you at court.
When this order is served to you, it becomes “in effect”. This means you must obey the order, or you are breaking the law and will face further consequences than just a hearing at which you can defend yourself with a domestic violence restraining order lawyer in Arlington, VA.
Reach out to May Law LLP today for your domestic violence restraining order needs.