What can the family court judge do about a protective order?
There is a separate type of case in West Virginia for “Domestic Violence Protection Orders.” The court orders of protection in those kinds of cases may be put in place very quickly, to deal with an emergency. Those orders also are limited in time. They cannot last longer than six months. But those are not divorce cases. In a divorce case the Judge has similar power to issue protective orders where there has been abuse or harassment. These orders do not have to be limited in time. They can be permanent. The court can order that your spouse is not allowed to bother you, harass you, or abuse you after the divorce. This happens in cases where there is proof that your spouse has been abusive to you in the past.
