Understanding People. Understanding The Law.

Legal Help With Maryland Protective And Restraining Orders

You have a right to be safe in your person, at your workplace and in your home. Unfortunately, every year hundreds of people in Maryland petition the court for a protective order to prevent a family member or loved one from assaulting them.

The good news is that most people are able to obtain a temporary restraining order when they apply to the court for help. Maryland courts take domestic violence seriously.

You do not need a lawyer to apply for a temporary protective order. You can request a temporary order for protection yourself in an ex parte hearing. For instructions on how to seek an initial order, see the Maryland Courts Web site for information, forms, and resources.

But a temporary order is only the beginning. You will need to go to court within 7 days to seek a permanent protective order in a domestic violence hearing. This is when you need a lawyer.

I am family law attorney Josephine Lynch, and I have been helping both women and men address the problem of family violence for over 30 years.

Contact my Bowie, Maryland, law office for immediate help. If you have a temporary protective order in hand, or you have been served with notice of a domestic violence hearing, I will schedule an appointment within 24 hours.

Permanent Protective Orders

At the domestic violence hearing, your attorney will present evidence of the nature of the abuse and the length of the time the abuse has occurred. The judge will consider that evidence, and make a ruling on whether to grant a permanent protective order, which keeps the abuser away for 12 months.

If a permanent protective order is granted, the judge will also decide on living arrangements, financial support, and child custody and visitation, if there are children in the family.

Your protective order prevents the other party from having contact with you at all, including at your home, school or workplace. It may also prevent your abuser from contacting close family members. If need be, your protective order can be extended another six months. I can help you get the extension.

 

You and your children do not have to suffer from domestic violence, abuse, or threats. Contact my Bowie, Maryland, law office for a consultation and immediate help. Call 301-352-6699.

Defense Against Wrongful Protective Orders

The courts grant a majority of requests for temporary protective orders, but fewer than half of the requests for permanent protective orders. Sometimes, this is because the charge of domestic abuse was made during the emotional turmoil of divorce as a way to remove one person from the home. This is an abuse of the process, but it is not uncommon.

If you have been served with papers to appear at a domestic violence hearing, you need immediate legal help. Important decisions about your life will be made at that hearing: decisions about child custody, visitation, child support, and living arrangements. You need legal defenseContact Law Offices of Josephine A. Lynch, P.A. immediately: call 301-352-6699.