A recent post on this blog discussed what a protective order in Texas can and cannot do for a victim of domestic violence in Sugar Land or in another part of the Houston metro area. The point of that post was that a victim may need to do more than call the police or the local prosecutor in order to stop the cycle of domestic abuse, even though making those phone calls are, of course, an important first step.
If no arrests are made, then any protective order a victim obtains is civil in nature, meaning a Texas resident is responsible for either representing him or herself in court or hiring an attorney to assist them. While victims sometimes get a lucky break and the perpetrator decides not to contest a protective order, in many cases the alleged perpetrator goes to court and denies the allegations of domestic violence.
Moreover, a victim will have to enforce the protective order if the person against whom the order was issued decides not to follow it. While sometimes a simple call to the police will do the trick, in other situations, particularly when the violation involves child custody, child support, or property, the victim has to go back to court and prove his or her charge that the order has been violated.
What all of this means is that a Texas family law attorney is a valuable part of a victim’s team of professionals who are often needed to protect the victim from further abuse. Our law office understands the rights victims have and takes assertive steps to protect those rights. We are also fully prepared to argue the merits of a protective order in court if necessary. We want, first and foremost, to ensure our clients are as safe as possible. Then, we can discuss other family law issues that may affect them.