Other Practice Areas
Orders of Protection
The law does not really understand what goes on inside people's homes. But it provides remedies for unacceptable behavior. One of the most important of these is the legal remedy for domestic violence: the Civil Protection Order (CPO).
In Illinois, an order of protection is a court order which restricts an abuser and only is available to family or household members. Orders are often entered without notice to the other side. These are known as Emergency Orders of Protection (EOP). A Plenary Order of Protection is a type of order of protection entered in after a hearing with both sides having the opportunity to be heard. An order of protection may prohibit the abuser from continuing threats and abuse (abuse includes physical abuse, harassment, intimidation, interference with personal liberty, or willful deprivation), bar them from a shared residence or bar the abuser while using drugs or alcohol.
While CPOs are sometimes necessary to protect a person from violence, other times false accusations are made to kick a spouse out of the house during a divorce action or to get the upper hand in a child custody dispute. For the person subject to a protection order, the effects can be devastating. You may be forced out of your home, your relationship with your children may be disrupted and even your job may be affected.
At Bradshaw Law, we represent men and women seeking civil protection orders against abusive spouses or family members, as well as men and women accused of domestic violence. We also defend people who face allegations of domestic violence.