Thank you for contacting Norman Law. We recommend you call the police every time the person comes to your home so that you have a record of these incidents. To file an injunction (restraining order), you do not need a lawyer. You can fill out the paperwork at the Clerk of Court’s office, which is generally in your local Courthouse. If the injunction is granted and a hearing is scheduled, you may wish to have an attorney represent you at the hearing.

I have this person that keeps coming to my house harassing me beating on my door. Then texting me on social media harassing me. Is there a way I can’t file for a retraining order for my safety.

Thank you for contacting Norman Law. You are correct that the injunction does not go into effect until you are personally served with it. You can search the Clerk’s docket to see if one has been filed or call the Clerk’s office for assistance. If you are served and would like us to assist you, please call our office at 904-306-9926 to schedule your free consultation.

Thank you for contacting Norman Law. If the Court issues a Temporary Injunction, you will be notified and will receive a copy of it. Generally, the Sheriff’s Office will let you know when the Respondent is served with the Temporary Injunction. A Final Injunction is issued only after a hearing, and you will know at the conclusion of the hearing if the Final Injunction will be issued and receive a copy of it at that time.

How will you know that you can call the police for the person violating the restraining order if you don’t know if they have been served? How will you know if it’s been issued and how to protect yourself and your property?

Thank you for reaching out to Norman Law. Unfortunately, if he is on the lease, he has a legal right to be there. If you and your adult son choose to leave, you may still be legally obligated to pay rent based on the lease. Verbal abuse is not a basis for the Court to intervene via an injunction (a.k.a., restraining order) or for the police to become involved. From the information you have provided, it seems that moving out is your best option at this point. If things become physical or you are in fear for your safety, at that point you may be able to get an injunction and /or assistance from the police.

Thank you for contacting Norman Law. JSO is generally able to serve the Temporary Injunction within a couple of days of it being signed by the Judge. If it is not served, you will still need to appear for the hearing to be certain that the Judge extends the Temporary Injunction to allow JSO more time to have the Respondent served. There is not set number of times the Temporary Injunction can be extended, it is determined by the Judge on a case-by-case basis. The hearing cannot take place if the Respondent is not served and provided notice of the proceedings. You may want to hire a private investigator to help locate the Respondent is JSO is having difficulty finding him/her.