If drinking or drugs turn the person you fear in Newborn into someone you do not recognize, so that you never know which version is coming home, that unpredictability is its own kind of terror. The danger is real whether they are using or not. We offer clear, private information about protective orders so you can plan a safe step that does not depend on their next good day.
Daniels & Taylor serves Newborn families from our office in Lawrenceville.
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When substance use drives the violence, you may spend your days reading their mood, hiding the car keys, bracing for the nights that go wrong. You might tell yourself it is the drinking, not them, and keep waiting for it to change. Can a court protect you when the abuse comes with addiction? Does it matter that they are not always like this? We listen, then connect each legal question to your safety, however unpredictable things feel.
You are not alone. Georgia's statewide domestic violence
hotline is 1-800-33-HAVEN (1-800-334-2836),
free, 24/7, and confidential.
What most people pay for a case evaluation to learn
A Georgia protective order can do more than tell someone to stay away. In a
family violence case the judge may grant exclusive use of the home, temporary
custody of the children, temporary support, and can even include the family pet
(O.C.G.A. 19-13-4).
You do not need a police report or a criminal charge to ask for one. It is a
civil petition you file yourself, and the court can issue a same day ex parte
order to protect you right away, followed by a hearing (O.C.G.A. 19-13-3).
Family violence is broader than physical harm. It covers acts like stalking
and criminal trespass between people in the same household, former spouses,
parents of the same child, and others living or formerly living together
(O.C.G.A. 19-13-1). If you were in a dating relationship but never lived together
and share no child, your path is a separate stalking protective order (O.C.G.A.
16-5-94).
How a Georgia family violence protective order works
You file a civil petition, with no police report required, and the court can
grant a temporary ex parte order the same day, then set a hearing (O.C.G.A.
19-13-3). The order can reach beyond no contact to the home, custody, and support
(O.C.G.A. 19-13-4). You file in the superior court of the county where the
respondent lives (O.C.G.A. 19-13-2).
Common questions about protective orders in Newborn
It is the drinking, not really them, does that change anything?
Your safety is what matters, whatever the cause. A protective order responds to the danger and the behavior. We explain how it can protect you.
They are not always violent, will a court still help?
Yes. Protection is based on the harm and the threat, not on whether it happens every day. Tell us your situation and we will walk through your options.
What if they get sober and it is fine for a while?
You can still plan for safety. A protective order is there for the times that are not fine. We help you understand how it works.
You can ask about your options without committing to file or to hire anyone, and without them knowing. Your safety should not hinge on their next mood. Reach out from a safe device when you are able.
Call (770) 285-1673 for a free case evaluation.
If an order was filed against you and substance use is part of the picture, the conditions may feel heavy, especially while you are dealing with a lot. Until the hearing, follow the order exactly as written, even where you believe it is unfair. Compliance protects you and leaves room to address the rest. We help you understand what it requires.
If a protective order has been filed against you
Nothing lasting happens without a hearing. An ex parte order is temporary, and
the court sets a hearing, usually within about 30 days, where the petitioner has
to prove family violence by a preponderance of the evidence, and that burden is on
them (O.C.G.A. 19-13-3(b), (c)).
A final order can require no contact, order you to leave a shared home, and set
temporary custody or support; it can last up to one year and may be extended to
three years or made permanent (O.C.G.A. 19-13-4). Knowingly violating a protective
order is a separate crime (O.C.G.A. 16-5-95). A family violence finding can also be
weighed in a later custody case (O.C.G.A. 19-9-3(a)(3)(P), (a)(4)). If the petition
comes from a dating relationship, it may fall under the stalking statute instead
(O.C.G.A. 16-5-94).
Until the hearing, follow the order exactly as
entered, even if you believe it is unfair. The time to be heard is at the hearing,
not by contacting the petitioner.
Common questions if an order was filed against you
I was not in my right mind, does that excuse it?
The order still binds you fully now. Follow every term and raise context at the hearing, where a judge weighs it. We help you prepare your side.
Can I reach out to apologize?
No. Any contact can violate the order and hurt your case, however well meant. Save it for the hearing through the right channel.
What happens next?
A judge reviews the evidence and decides what, if anything, continues. A free case evaluation helps you understand the order and get ready.
Have the order and the hearing date in hand. A free case evaluation can help you sort what to do first and what to avoid.
Call (770) 285-1673 for a free case evaluation.