Tampa Child Custody Cases Involving Domestic Violence: How An Injunction Can Protect You And Your Child
Leaving an abusive relationship is never easy. When children are involved, it can make an already painful situation feel impossible.
Filing for a domestic violence injunction through the Hillsborough County Family Court can do more than keep an abusive partner away. Our experienced Tampa child custody lawyer explains how it can impact these legal proceedings and steps to take before going to court.
How Domestic Injunctions Impact Tampa Child Custody Cases
According to Florida Health Charts, over 6,500 cases of domestic violence are reported each year in Hillsborough County. Sadly, thousands of other cases likely go unreported.
Filing a petition for an Injunction to Protect Against Domestic Violence (often referred to simply as an injunction, or as a restraining order) can help protect you and your child. If the court finds the other parent poses an immediate threat, they can issue a temporary injunction the same day, even without your former partner appearing in court.
From that moment, the legal landscape shifts. In Tampa child custody cases, ways an injunction can help:
- Grant you temporary full custody of your child.
- Dictate that any contact with the other parent happens only through a supervised, court-approved program.
- Set custody exchanges at a neutral location, which can help avoid problems.
- Require the other parent to complete a batterers’ intervention program before approving any timesharing.
- Establish temporary child support within the injunction while your custody case works its way through the courts.
These protections don’t simply end once the injunction expires. Under Section 61.13 of the Florida Statutes, family court judges must consider any documented history of domestic violence in any future child custody orders.
Florida Domestic Violence: How to Protect Yourself and Your Children in Tampa Child Custody Proceedings
Child custody proceedings in Tampa can quickly get contentious, particularly when accusations of domestic violence are part of the picture. To protect your child and your rights in the Hillsborough County Family Court, take these steps:
- Keep a journal and document every incident, including the date, what happened, what was said, and whether your children were present.
- Save every threatening or controlling text message, email, and voicemail somewhere the other parent cannot access.
- Photograph any property damages and injuries caused by the other parent.
- Get prompt medical care and make sure how the injuries happened is included in your medical record.
- Inform your children’s teacher, school counselor, or pediatrician of the situation, as their observations can provide additional evidence in court.
Of course, leave immediately if you sense you and your children are in immediate danger, notify the police, and ask to press criminal charges.
Consult Our Experienced Tampa Child Custody Lawyer Today
You deserve to feel safe, and so do your children. At Bubley & Bubley, P.A., our experienced Tampa child custody lawyer provides the trusted legal help parents in difficult situations need to protect themselves and their children.
If domestic violence is an issue in your Tampa child custody case, contact our office and request a confidential consultation today.
Sources:
flhealthcharts.gov/ChartsDashboards/rdPage.aspx?rdReport=NonVitalIndNoGrp.Dataviewer&cid=312
flcourts.gov/Services/Family-Courts/domestic-relations-court-resources/family-law-forms/Domestic-Violence-12.980-Forms-A-E/Petition-for-Injunction-for-Protection-Against-Domestic-Violence
