Orders for Protection

Mankato Criminal Lawyer & Attorney

An Order for Protection (OFP) is a civil order that protects an individual from harm by a member of the household or another family member. These orders are usually issued in conjunction with an allegation of domestic assault.

If you have been accused or arrested for any type of domestic assault and there is an Order for Protection keeping you from seeing children you may have with the alleged victim and anyone else who may be in the household. This also keeps you away from your home. With the help of your Southern Minnesota orders for protection attorney, you can combat any domestic abuse charges and the accompanying order for protection.

False Pretenses

It is unfortunate that an instrument used to protect victims of domestic assault is used as a weapon to hurt another person. There are individuals that seek OFPs out of spite or they use them as a way to make the other person look bad in a divorce or child custody case. This means you could be looking at an order for protection without ever doing anything to provoke it. Fortunately, you have legal rights and an attorney who will work hard for you to protect those rights.

If you were to violate the OFP, even by accident, you could be looking at the following consequences:

• Be forced to stay away from your minor children and the alleged victim
• Be removed from the home that is yours
• Be ordered to stay away from the place of work of the alleged victim
• Be ordered to not contact the alleged victim in any way

Types Of Orders For Protection

There are two types of orders for protection. The first is the Ex Parte Order for Protection, which is granted without the alleged abuser being able to stand up for him or herself. This may seem unfair, but you have to obey the conditions so you are not charged with a violation.

The second type is the Full Order for Protection, which can be issued during a court hearing where both parties are able to explain their sides of the story. The judge will consider what each party has to say when deciding whether or not to grant the order. Your Mankato Lawyer will advise you on what you should and should not say and the details of the order.

Contact A Southern Minnesota Criminal Lawyer

An order for protection is designed to protect a person from another who has threatened them or hurt them in the past. However, there are times when a person may seek an order for protection against someone who has done nothing or the accusations are exaggerated. If this has happened to you, this can keep you from seeing any children you may have with that person, as well as other friends and family. To learn more about your rights and how you can challenge an order for protection, call the Westbrook office at 507-274-6501, the St. James office at 507-375-3374, or the Mankato office at 507-387-2100 for a free consultation.