Protective Orders and No-Contact Orders in Family Violence Cases

If you’ve been arrested for assault of a family member in Texas, chances are you’re already dealing with a protective order or no-contact order. These court orders can upend your life—restricting where you live, who you see, and even whether you can return home.

Knowing how protective orders work, the consequences of violations, and what an experienced violation of protective order lawyer near you can do is critical to protecting your rights.

How Protective Orders Work

In Texas, a protective order is a court order intended to prevent further acts of family violence. They can be issued in different forms, including:

• Emergency Protective Orders (EPOs): Issued by a magistrate after an arrest, often lasting 31–61 days. In cases involving serious injury or weapons, they can last up to 91 days.
• Temporary Ex Parte Orders: Issued without your presence in court; typically last 20 days but may be extended.
• Final Protective Orders: Issued after a hearing, these can last up to 2 years—or longer in certain cases.
  

Protective orders often:

• Prohibit contact with the alleged victim (phone, text, in-person)
• Ban you from returning to your own residence if shared with the accuser
• Restrict firearm possession
• Affect custody and visitation with children

Consequences of Violating a Protective Order

Violating a protective order is treated as a separate criminal offense in Texas under Tex. Penal Code § 25.07.

Consequences include:

• Class A misdemeanor: Up to 1 year in jail and a $4,000 fine
• Third-degree felony: 2–10 years in prison if you have prior violations or if the violation involves stalking or assault
  

Even unintentional violations—like a chance encounter at a grocery store or a misunderstood text—can lead to arrest. Courts rarely show leniency, which is why these cases are so dangerous.

Strategies for Fighting Protective Orders

An experienced attorney can challenge protective orders in several ways:

• Challenging evidence: Many orders are based only on the accuser’s statements. Your lawyer can expose contradictions or lack of proof.
• Modifications: In some cases, orders can be modified to allow child visitation or limited communication.
• Defenses to violations: If you are accused of violating, your lawyer can argue lack of intent, lack of notice, or accidental contact.
  

The goal is not only to avoid conviction for violating an order but also to prevent overly broad restrictions that interfere with your daily life.

Why You Need a Lawyer Near You

Protective orders can last for months or even years, and violating them can send you straight to jail. A skilled violation of protective order lawyer near you knows how local courts in Harris, Galveston, Fort Bend, and Brazoria Countyhandle these cases and can fight to keep your life from being turned upside down.

Take Action Now

If you’re under a protective order—or accused of violating one—you cannot afford to wait. Every decision you make could mean the difference between freedom and a felony conviction.

Call Walker Law Office today at (713) 228-2611 or contact us online. Our experienced protective order defense lawyer near you is ready to fight for your rights.