If your church and family in Porterdale are telling you to stay, to pray harder, to keep the marriage together, while you are the one living in fear, that pull can be as heavy as the fear itself. Your safety matters too. We offer clear, private information about protective orders so you can understand your options, whatever you decide about your marriage.
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When the people whose faith you share urge you to forgive and stay, asking for protection can feel like failing them or your beliefs. You may carry guilt on top of fear, and wonder if seeking safety is wrong. Can you protect yourself without ending everything? Can a court help while you sort out what is right for you? We listen with respect for your faith, then connect each legal question to keeping you safe.
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 Porterdale
Is seeking protection going against my faith?
A protective order is about safety, not about any decision on your marriage. You can be safe and still take the time you need to discern. We explain how it works.
Everyone says to keep the family together, what about me?
Your safety counts too. Protection does not force any outcome on your marriage. We help you understand options that protect you first.
What if I am not ready to leave?
You do not have to decide that to ask about safety. Reach out and we will walk through what is possible without pushing you anywhere.
You can ask about your options without committing to file or to hire anyone, and without anyone in your circle knowing. Your safety and your faith are not at odds here. 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 your community shares your faith, you may feel the weight of judgment along with the order. Until the hearing, follow the order exactly as written, even where you believe it is unfair. We help you understand what it requires and how to present your side properly, not through the people around you.
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
Can I have our pastor or family help work it out?
No. Contact through anyone, even faith leaders or relatives, can violate the order. Save your side for the hearing, where it counts. We help you prepare.
The conditions feel unfair, what do I do?
Follow them exactly anyway, and raise your objections at the hearing. That is where a judge weighs your side, not the community.
What happens next?
A judge reviews the evidence and decides what, if anything, continues. A free case evaluation helps you 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.