“New Jersey enacted the Prevention Against Domestic Violence Act (“PADV”) to afford an individual in an abusive relationship the maximum protection from abuse by his/her spouse or cohabitants that the law can provide. The PADV enables a victim of domestic violence to go to court to obtain a Temporary Restraining Order, or TRO, against his/her abuser. A TRO protects a victim from further abuse from his/her attacker. Protections that a Judge can order in a TRO include, but are not limited to, temporarily forbidding attackers from entering the victim’s home, contacting the victim or his/her relatives, or bothering the victim at work. A Judge can also temporarily award custody of children to the victim and require the abuser to temporarily pay child support. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a victim of domestic violence can obtain a TRO by calling their county courthouse between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. or visiting their local police station at any time. After obtaining a TRO, the Court will conduct a trial to determine whether to convert a TRO to a Final Restraining Order, or FRO.—Aaron Cohen – Price, Meese, Shulman & D’Arminio, P.C.
Informed Citizens
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