How long do restraining orders last in Georgia depends on which stage the case has reached. An ex parte temporary order lasts only until the court hearing, and that hearing is set within 30 days of the filing of the petition. A final family violence protective order may last up to one year. The court…
Continue reading ›What Georgia Law Actually Requires Before a Judge Signs an Order Clients often ask a blunt question: can you get a restraining order for no reason in Georgia? No. A Georgia court cannot lawfully issue a protective order without a stated, qualifying reason. The petitioner must swear to specific conduct that fits a category the…
Continue reading ›Few civil filings move as fast – or carry as much criminal exposure – as a Georgia temporary protective order. One sworn petition, signed by a Superior Court judge after an ex parte hearing, can force a respondent out of the family residence, suspend firearm rights, dictate child custody and visitation, and create a paper…
Continue reading ›Georgia treats simple battery, battery, simple assault, and aggravated assault as four separate crimes. Any one of them becomes a family violence case when the alleged victim is a family or household member. That single label changes the penalties and the lasting consequences. It also changes how a court handles the case, far more than…
Continue reading ›What Is “Family Violence” Under Georgia Law? Georgia law uses the term “family violence” to describe certain crimes that occur between people with specific relationships, not just married couples. It can apply to spouses, former spouses, parents and children, stepparents and stepchildren, people who share a child, and people who live or formerly lived in…
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