Protecting victims of domestic violence is a noble concern for the judiciary system. Now, those victims just received more protection, thanks to the Las Vegas Family Court. As of January 28th of this year, a significant change has been made to the legal system to improve the safety of domestic violence sufferers.
This change involves the process of reviewing applications for Temporary Protection Orders. Las Vegas family law attorneys agree this change will be helpful to anyone suffering from domestic violence.
What is a Temporary Protection Order (TPO)?
According to the clarkcounty.gov website, protection orders protect victims against stalking and harassment. They can be issued for children and/or adults. They also protect against sexual assault. The official, legal definition according to the clarkcounty.gov website follows:
A Protection Order is an order issued by a court that allows an APPLICANT to use the power of the court to require an ADVERSE PARTY to do, or not do, certain things. A Protection Order may do the following:
(a) It may order the Adverse Party to stay away from * The home of the victim; * The school of the victim; * The business of the victim; * The place of employment of the victim; and * Any other location named explicitly by the Court.
(b) It may order the Adverse Party to refrain from contacting, intimidating, threatening or otherwise interfering with * The victim; and * Any other person, including, without limitation, a member of the family or household of the victim, named explicitly by the Court.
(c) It may order the Adverse Party to comply with any other restriction which the Court deems necessary to protect the victim, or to protect any other person named in the order, including, without limitation, a member of the family or household of the victim.
What Has Changed With These Protection Orders?
According to the new law in Nevada, a judge must decide on an application within a day of receiving it. This expedited processing time will drastically cut victim waiting times and allow for temporary protection orders to be granted or denied within mere hours.
Safe Nest works directly with domestic violence victims to provide them with support, a safe refuge, and safety planning; TC, a Safe Nest employee in charge of court advocacy services, reported that the new change in Nevada law is another step “to enhance victim’s safety and make things easier for the victims.”
This new law change allows victims – who are already likely feeling overwhelmed, violated, and vulnerable – to walk in, fill out a simple application, and have a hearing before the judge on the same day (as long as the TPO is filed before 3 p.m.)
Common Questions about Temporary Protection Orders
How much does it cost to file a TPO?
There is no filing fee for an applicant to obtain a temporary protection order.
Can I get a TPO without notifying the adverse party?
A temporary protection order may be granted without notice to the adverse party; however, the court can require a hearing before deciding whether to grant a TPO or not. If a hearing is required, the adverse party might be entitled to receive notice.
To give an example of how many TPOs are granted each day in Las Vegas, Judge Amy Mastin reported that she recently received and reviewed 55 applications in two days.
