What Just Happened — and What Happens Next
Florida law allows several types of protective injunctions — commonly domestic violence, repeat violence, dating violence, sexual violence, and stalking — each with its own statutory requirements. The process moves fast by design: a petitioner files sworn allegations, a judge may issue a temporary (ex parte) injunction the same day without hearing your side, and the court sets a final hearing, typically within a couple of weeks, where both sides present evidence. In Broward, these cases are heard in the 17th Judicial Circuit, with many matters at the Central Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale.
Understand what the temporary order already does: it can bar you from your own home, prohibit any contact with the petitioner, restrict where you can go — and even a temporary injunction can require you to surrender firearms immediately. None of that waited for your version of events. The final hearing is where your version finally gets heard, and it is frequently your only realistic chance to stop a permanent order.
Civil Case, Criminal Teeth
An injunction petition is technically civil — no one is charging you with a crime by filing it. The consequences are anything but soft. A final injunction can appear in background searches, restrict firearm rights (with federal implications under 18 U.S.C. in domestic-violence cases), complicate professional licenses, security clearances, and immigration matters, and dictate where you live and go. And violating any injunction — even accidentally, even at the petitioner's invitation — is a crime that turns a civil dispute into an arrest. Injunction petitions also frequently run parallel to criminal allegations arising from the same incident, which is why defending them together, with one strategy, matters. See our assault & battery and criminal defense pages for how the two tracks interact.
The Final Hearing Is a Real Trial — Treat It Like One
At the final hearing, the petitioner must prove the statutory basis for the injunction by the greater weight of the evidence. Both sides can testify, call witnesses, and be cross-examined. People who walk in unrepresented discover too late that the rules of evidence apply, that emotional narratives are not the same as proof, and that what they say on the stand can be used in any parallel criminal case. A prepared defense looks like this:
- The paper record: texts, emails, call logs, photographs, and social media — preserved and organized, including everything that contradicts the petition's timeline.
- Witnesses who saw the events or know the history, identified and ready.
- Cross-examination of the petitioner's account — where exaggerated or strategic petitions tend to come apart.
- Legal argument on whether the allegations, even if believed, meet the statute's requirements — many petitions fail on this alone.
- Fifth Amendment coordination when a criminal case is pending, so winning the hearing does not mean losing the prosecution.
The Mistakes That Lose These Cases
- Contacting the petitioner to "work it out" — a violation and a crime, even if they contacted you first. Do not respond; save the messages and share them with your attorney instead, where they may become evidence for you.
- Skipping the hearing, which usually means the injunction is entered by default with the petitioner's account unchallenged.
- Agreeing to the injunction "just to end it" without understanding the long-term consequences for firearms, background checks, and future disputes.
- Testifying without preparation while a related criminal investigation is open.
- Posting about the case online — petitioners' lawyers read social media too.
How Hoffman Legal Defends Broward Injunction Cases
Immediate Triage
Hearings come fast — we review the petition and temporary order right away, calendar every deadline, and tell you exactly what the order does and does not prohibit.
Evidence Assembly
Messages, records, and witnesses gathered on a courtroom timeline, not a someday timeline — organized to answer the petition point by point.
Hearing Advocacy
Cross-examination and legal argument from a former public defender who has tried contested hearings in Broward courtrooms for years.
Parallel-Case Strategy
When criminal charges or a divorce run alongside, the injunction defense is coordinated so testimony in one case never ambushes you in another.
Already past the hearing? Existing injunctions can sometimes be modified or dissolved when circumstances change — and alleged violations need a defense of their own. Start with our statewide injunctions overview, or read about attorney David Hoffman before you call.
Broward Injunction Defense FAQ
Is a restraining order a criminal charge in Florida?
No — the petition itself is civil. But the consequences reach like a conviction: background-search visibility, firearm restrictions with federal implications in domestic-violence cases, housing and career complications. And violating an injunction is a crime. Treat the final hearing with the seriousness of a criminal trial, because its effects can last as long.
What happens if I just don't show up to the hearing?
The court will almost certainly hear only the petitioner's side, and a final injunction is likely to be entered by default — potentially for years or with no end date. Whatever the allegations, the hearing is your chance to contest them; forfeiting it converts accusations into a standing court order.
The petitioner keeps texting me. Can I reply?
No. The injunction binds you, not them — responding can be charged as a violation even when they initiated contact. Do not reply; preserve the messages and give them to your attorney. Petitioner-initiated contact can become useful evidence at the final hearing or in a later motion to modify or dissolve.
Will I lose my guns over a temporary injunction?
You may be required to surrender firearms immediately even under a temporary order, particularly in domestic-violence cases, and a final injunction can extend those restrictions with federal consequences. This is one of the highest-stakes and most detail-dependent aspects of injunction law — get specific advice about your order before you do anything.
Can an injunction against me be lifted later?
Sometimes. Florida courts can modify or dissolve injunctions when circumstances justify it, on a proper motion with evidence — and fixed-term injunctions expire on their own terms. But the far better position is preventing the final injunction at the hearing, which is why the days right after service matter most.
Related Services & Areas
Reviewed by attorney David Hoffman, Hoffman Legal, Dania Beach, Florida. Last reviewed: July 2026.
Your Hearing Date Is Set. Your Defense Isn't — Yet.
Bring the petition and the temporary order to a free, confidential consultation. Former public defender David Hoffman will tell you what the petitioner must prove, what your evidence looks like, and how to walk into that Broward courtroom prepared.
The information on this page is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Injunction procedures and consequences depend on the order, the facts, and applicable law. Reading this page or contacting the firm does not by itself create an attorney-client relationship.