Injunctions for Protection

Mack Law has extensive experience on both sides of Florida injunctions — filing petitions for people who need protection, and defending against petitions through to complete dismissal. The stakes are higher than most people realize: once even a temporary injunction is entered against you, your concealed-carry license is suspended and you must surrender your firearms. Florida judges are granting more temporary stalking injunctions than ever, often on paper alone. Take the hearing seriously.

The five types — choose correctly or be denied

• Domestic violence (§ 741.28): violence or reasonable fear of imminent violence between spouses, former spouses, relatives by blood or marriage, people who live or lived together as a family, or parents of a child in common.
• Stalking (§§ 784.048, 784.0485): purposeful, repeated following or harassment with no legitimate purpose; threats elevate it to aggravated stalking.
• Repeat violence (§ 784.046): two separate acts of violence or stalking, one within the past six months — the usual vehicle for neighbor, coworker, and other non-domestic disputes.
• Sexual violence (§ 784.046): specified sexual offenses, with cooperation or sentencing conditions met.
• Dating violence (§ 784.046): violence between people in a recent dating relationship with an expectation of affection.

Filing under the wrong category is a common — and fatal — mistake for self-represented petitioners. Whether you need protection or need to protect your name, preparation for the return hearing decides these cases.