Back to the community

Please readThis is a community space for sharing personal experience — it is not legal advice, and posts here are not from Lawma or your attorney. We strongly encourage you to post under an anonymous handle, keep questions general, and avoid posting private details of your active case. For advice about your own situation, message your attorney.

DVRODefense

Wrongly accused on a DVRO — how do I defend myself?

CAalec_t1 month ago

Got served with a temporary DVRO. None of the allegations are true. Hearing in 3 weeks. Where do I start?

1 reply

✓ Verified answer from a licensed attorney — shown first

Daniel Okafor avatarDaniel OkaforVerified Attorney1 month ago

Two things to do immediately. (1) Comply with every term of the temporary order to the letter, even the parts you think are unfair — any violation, even a 'small' one, sinks your defense. (2) File a written response (DV-120) before the hearing, attaching declarations and exhibits. The hearing is your opportunity for cross-examination and to put on your own witnesses. Plan to invest in an attorney for at least the hearing day — DVRO findings have real downstream consequences (firearms, immigration, employment in some fields). Don't try to argue 'she's lying' as your whole defense; argue with specific contradicting evidence (texts, calendar entries, witnesses).

More conversations about this topic

Do I qualify for a DV restraining order if he never hit me?

5 days ago3 replies

He violated the restraining order — what do I do?

6 days ago2 replies

How does a DV finding affect custody?

10 days ago1 reply

How do I keep my new address off the court file?

1 week ago2 replies

Add your reply

Share what helped you. Be kind — and remember this is your experience, not legal advice.

Share what you’re going through — your name stays private. Drafts saved as you type Alerts when someone replies Same handle every visitCreate a free account →Already have one? Sign in.Posts show under a community handle (e.g. member-3f8a21 by default, or pick your own). Your real name is never shown to other members.Are you a lawyer? Apply to be verified — verified lawyers post under their name + firm, and show up in the directory.

Plain text is fine. You can also make text **bold** or *italic*, start a line with “- ” for a list or “> ” to quote someone, or add a link like [name](https://example.com). Tap Preview to see how it will look.

Please readThis is a community space for sharing personal experience — it is not legal advice, and posts here are not from Lawma or your attorney. We strongly encourage you to post under an anonymous handle, keep questions general, and avoid posting private details of your active case. For advice about your own situation, message your attorney.