If you have experienced domestic violence, including physical or sexual abuse, threats, humiliation, or isolation from others, you don’t have to suffer alone. The domestic violence attorneys of Greenwood Law can help you seek relief through a protective order filed against your abuser.
Obtaining a protective order is often the first step in getting out of a dangerous situation, allowing you space to breathe without fearing that your abuser will harm you.
What Is a Domestic Violence Protective Order?
A domestic violence protective order (DVPO) is a court order that prevents a domestic abuser from coming into contact with their victim. It can also include a wide variety of other restrictions, depending on the specific circumstances of the case.
These orders are also sometimes referred to as 50B orders because the statutes that define their powers and limitations are found in Chapter 50B of the North Carolina General Statutes.
Who Can Obtain a Protective Order in North Carolina?
Protective orders can be obtained by anyone living in North Carolina, regardless of immigration status, who has one of the following relationships with their abuser:
- They are your spouse or ex-spouse
- You currently or previously lived in the same household
- You have a child together
- You have or had a dating relationship
- They are your parent, child, grandparent, or grandchild
How Long Does a Protective Order Last?
Protective orders in North Carolina can last for up to one year. However, a protective order can be renewed for up to two years at a time if you believe you need it for longer.
To renew a protective order, you should have evidence demonstrating its continued necessity. Our lawyers can gather this evidence on your behalf. They could gather witness statements, messages you’ve received from your abuser, social media posts your abuser has made, photographs of your abuser near your home or work, and other documents.
While renewals can only last for two years, you can seek as many renewals as are necessary.
What Can a Protective Order Do?
A protective order can grant relief to domestic violence victims in several key ways. Beyond preventing your abuser from coming into physical contact with you, a protective order may also:
- Bar your abuser from contacting you in any way
- Prevent your abuser from making threats online
- Grant you possession of the residence you share
- Force your abuser to provide alternative housing for you and your children
- Award you temporary custody of your children
- Order child support payments
- Ban your abuser from purchasing or owning a firearm
- Require your abuser to complete an abuser treatment program
How Is a Protective Order Enforced?
If your abuser violates a protective order, you should contact the police and report it. Violating a domestic violence protective order is a Class A misdemeanor, and police will arrest your abuser if they believe there is probable cause that they knowingly violated the terms of the protective order.
Violating a protective order may result in jail time and fines. And if your abuser previously violated the order, it can make it easier for you to get your protective order renewed.
Contact Our Winston-Salem Domestic Violence Lawyers
If you were the victim of a domestic violence act in North Carolina, contact Greenwood Law to speak with a compassionate domestic violence attorney. Our attorneys can help you seek relief through a protective order and assist you in exploring your options if that order is violated.
At our law firm, we always treat our clients as individuals, not case numbers like some larger firms do. To that end, we’ll get to know your unique situation so that we can seek the specific protective order conditions you and your family need.