We constantly hear, “Why should I get a Protective Order – it’s just a piece of paper!”

While Protective Orders do not serve as a forcefield of safety for a victim of intimate partner violence (IPV), let’s be clear: Protective Orders serve as a vital tool in a survivor’s tool box and will continue to provide valuable legal benefits.

In 2022, zero of Tarrant County’s seven IPV homicide victims filed for a Protective Order, and since our first Fatality Review Report in 2019, only four of the 39 cases our team reviewed received a Protective Order.

Protective Orders are legally binding documents issued by a court, and they establish very clear boundaries for how an abuser can or cannot interact with a victim. One of the most important purposes a Protective Order serves is as an instrument utilized by law enforcement to stop violence before it occurs.

Child custody exchanges can be incredibly dangerous times for IPV victims. In fact, in 2022 two bystanders who were accompanying a victim to separate custody exchanges were killed when violence erupted. Protective Orders can address child custody and visitation, and may include provisions that limit an abuser’s access to children or mandate supervised visitation to prevent further abuse and ensure the child’s safety.

No - Protective Orders cannot guarantee physical safety, but they remain a life-saving legal tool for victims, and they work to hold offenders accountable in the likely chance that further violence occurs.

Filing for Protective Orders can seem daunting, but representatives from SafeHaven’s legal department and the Tarrant Country Criminal District Attorney’s Office are always available to walk survivors through this process.