Articles Posted in Domestic Violence

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A Domestic Violence Protective Order (DVPO) can last up to one year in North Carolina. These protection orders can be filed against anyone you have a personal relationship with, and violations mean the other party can be arrested. DVPOs provide a much-needed layer of protection for divorcing spouses facing domestic violence.

If your DVPO is set to expire soon, you may be able to receive a renewal. A renewal can last up to two years, and you can continue to receive renewals as long as there is good cause for the DVPO to remain in place.[1] Continue reading →

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Domestic Violence Protective Orders (DVPO) can be filed in North Carolina when you have a personal relationship with someone who is harassing, threatening, or committing another type of domestic violence against you. Which relationships are classified as personal relationships for this purpose? Continue reading →

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Domestic violence comes in many forms. If your partner or spouse has made you feel unsafe, you may be able to get a Domestic Violence Protective Order (DVPO). North Carolina provides a relatively broad categorization of behaviors that could warrant a DVPO. This article offers general information about acts that may qualify for a DVPO, but you can get personalized guidance by speaking to a Greensboro divorce lawyer. Continue reading →

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IN THE MATTER OF: E.Q.B., M.Q.B., S.R.R.B., 2023-NCCOA-______ (2023) 


Sometimes a parent will commit an act of domestic violence against the other parent or involving the child. In these cases, a domestic violence protective order (DVPO) can be entered to cut off contact between the offender and the parent/child. Subsequently, if the offender then faces a petition to terminate his/her parental rights, then that DVPO cannot be used as a shield to prevent the termination, so long as the grounds are factually established.
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If you are a victim of domestic violence in North Carolina, you may be able to file for a protective order. Domestic violence protective orders (DVPO; also called 50B orders) are court orders that prohibit an abuser from being near a victim. DVPOs provide a certain level of security if you are fearful that someone you have a close relationship with will try to harm you.

A DVPO can be filed during the divorce process as well, if one spouse harasses or threatens the other. A Greensboro divorce lawyer can help you obtain a domestic violence protective order. Continue reading →

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CHOCIEJ V. RICHBURG, 2023-NCCOA-________ (2023). 

Facts: Plaintiff and Defendant dated. On May 31, 2021, there was a fight between the couple, and Defendant broke Plaintiff’s nose with his fists and/or forehead. Another fight broke out between the couple in the bedroom, wherein Defendant used his belt and household items, such as a lamp, to hit Plaintiff. This caused black-eyes and bruising on Plaintiff. The police were called, but Defendant fled.

Eventually, the police arrested him in July 2021 and charged him with assault on a female. After the arrest, Defendant called Plaintiff’s work and reported that Plaintiff had wrongfully disclosed his confidential medical records to a third party. This resulted in Plaintiff’s termination by her employer. That same day, Plaintiff sought a Domestic Violence Protective Order (DVPO). At the hearing, there was ample evidence of the assaults and damage done to Plaintiff by the Defendant.

The trial court also took into consideration the time between the assaults and Plaintiff’s filing for the DVPO as well as the timing of the filing with her termination. In the trial court’s denial of a DVPO, it specifically noted that the court did not believe that Plaintiff would have sought a DVPO if she had not been terminated, essentially saying that the filing was in retaliation to Defendant’s whistleblowing. Plaintiff appealed. Continue reading →

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A California woman is experiencing divorce in a way that has her fearing for her life.  Patricia and Ronald Dunn are residents of Los Angeles and are in the process of getting divorced.  However, Ronald is less than happy with the idea of divorcing Patricia.  To say this is a contentious divorce is an understatement.  At approximately 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, January 15, Ronald first arrived at the couple’s home in the Westmont neighborhood of South Los Angeles in his Chevy Impala.  He crashed the car into the home while Patricia was still inside.  Ronald then left and later returned with a dump truck, crashing that into the home as well.  Ronald then backed up the dump truck and rammed multiple vehicles parked along the street.   

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Colleen Hoover is unstoppable. To say she is a best-selling novelist is an understatement. In 2022, Hoover held six of the top ten spots on The New York Times’ paperback fiction best-seller list. She has sold more than 20 million books. Her social media presence reaches far and wide. She has roughly 3.9 million followers across platforms and that number continues to grow each day. Reviews of her books have become a sensation on TikTok.

With such a large following, her fans, known as “CoHorts,” are sure to make their opinions known. As a result, it is no surprise the CoHorts were quick to speak out when Hoover announced her plans to design an adult coloring book based on her bestseller “It Ends With Us.”

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Many victims of domestic abuse who flee their abuser have to leave the state where the abuse occurred for a number of reasons. If you find yourself in this difficult situation and have moved to North Carolina, what does that mean for your ability to get a Domestic Violence Protective Order (DVPO)? As it happens, it can make all the difference.

In North Carolina, courts can only hear claims for DVPOs if the plaintiff demonstrates that the court has personal jurisdiction over the defendant.[1] Personal jurisdiction is the right of that particular court to make decisions and enter orders about that person. If a court is to have personal jurisdiction, the court must comply with two different tests: the North Carolina long-arm statute and the Constitutional right to due process. Continue reading →

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Keenan v. Keenan, 2022-NCCOA-554, No. COA21-579 (Aug. 16, 2022)

In August 2020, Plaintiff’s ex-husband came to Plaintiff’s house to cut her grass. Seems innocent enough, right? But Defendant ex-husband had a history of physically, verbally, and emotionally abusing Plaintiff, had been texting Plaintiff inappropriate things, had been told multiple times not to come to Plaintiff’s house, and wouldn’t leave even though Plaintiff told him to four times. That context makes the situation seem very different, doesn’t it? Plaintiff got so nervous about what Defendant might do that it gave her a panic attack, and she filed for a Domestic Violence Protective Order (DVPO). The DVPO was granted because the trial court found that Defendant placed “the aggrieved party or a member of [her] family or household in fear of imminent serious bodily injury or continued harassment, as defined in [N.C.G.S. §] 14-277.3A, that rises to such a level as to inflict substantial emotional distress.” (N.C.G.S. § 50B-1 (a)(2)) Continue reading →