Order of Protection Lawyer Brooklyn

When a Brooklyn resident seeks safety from a family member, a household member, or an intimate partner, Kings County’s court system offers a legal remedy through a family offense petition and an order of protection. Family offense proceedings are brought in Kings County Family Court, located in Brooklyn; Kings County’s court system also includes the Kings County Supreme Court at 360 Adams Street, in the Second Judicial District. An order of protection can direct a person to stay away from another person, refrain from contact, or comply with other court-ordered conditions, and the process can move quickly once a petition is filed. The stakes are high on both sides: a petitioner needs a protective order that will hold up in court, and a respondent needs to understand what conditions a judge can impose and how long an order can last. Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C. represents petitioners and respondents in Kings County family offense matters, working to present the facts of each case clearly to the court. Mr. Sris, Owner and Founder of Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C., is a former prosecutor who brings that courtroom background to family offense litigation in Brooklyn. Whether the matter involves an initial petition, a hearing on the merits, or a request to modify an existing order, preparation and a clear understanding of Family Court Act procedure matter. For assistance with a Brooklyn order of protection matter, call (888) 437-7747 to schedule a consultation.

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What Order of Protection Means in Brooklyn

An order of protection is a civil court order issued under the Family Court Act to protect a person from a family member or household member who has committed, or is alleged to have committed, a family offense. Family Court Act §812 gives Family Court and the criminal courts concurrent jurisdiction over a defined list of offenses when they occur between members of the same family or household. That relationship category is broad: it includes relatives connected by blood or marriage, current or former spouses, parents who share a child in common, and persons in an intimate relationship regardless of whether they have ever lived together. The enumerated offenses covered by §812 include conduct such as harassment, stalking, menacing, assault, and strangulation-related offenses, along with coercion and other statutorily listed offenses; the legislature has repeatedly expanded this list over time, most recently to reach additional conduct such as the unlawful dissemination of an intimate image and identity theft.

Once a family offense petition is filed and the court finds a basis for relief, Family Court Act §842 governs the order’s duration and terms. An order of protection may run for a period not in excess of two years. The court may extend that period to not in excess of five years if it finds, on the record, that aggravating circumstances exist, as defined in Family Court Act §827(a)(vii), or if it finds that the respondent’s conduct violated an existing valid order of protection. A court may later extend an order on motion, for good cause shown or with the consent of the parties.

Section 842 also lists the conditions a court may include in an order. These can include stay-away, no-contact, and no-harassment provisions, participation in a batterer’s education program, payment of counsel fees, protection of a companion animal, return of specified identification documents, and restrictions on remotely accessing or controlling the other party’s connected devices, along with any other condition the court finds necessary to carry out the order’s protective purpose. In a family offense proceeding, the court may also award temporary custody and temporary child support, and it may set a further hearing on temporary spousal support. Brooklyn residents navigating this process benefit from understanding both what the statute allows and how Kings County Family Court applies it in practice.

How Mr. Sris and the Firm’s Of Counsel Attorneys Handle Order of Protection Cases

Mr. Sris and the firm’s Of Counsel attorneys represent both petitioners seeking protection and respondents defending against a family offense petition in Kings County. For a petitioner, the work begins with identifying which enumerated offense under Family Court Act §812 fits the facts and assembling the evidence needed to support a finding at hearing. For a respondent, the work centers on understanding the specific allegations, the conditions the petitioner is requesting, and how a finding could affect custody, visitation, or a person’s ability to remain in a shared residence.

Because an order of protection can include temporary custody, temporary child support, and a path toward a hearing on temporary spousal support, family offense proceedings often intersect with a Brooklyn family’s broader domestic situation. Mr. Sris and the firm’s Of Counsel attorneys review how a proposed order’s conditions, such as stay-away or no-contact terms, would affect existing parenting arrangements, and they raise those issues with the court when relevant. When a case involves a request for an extended order under the five-year standard, the firm addresses the aggravating-circumstances question directly, since that finding must appear on the record under Family Court Act §842.

The firm also assists clients who are already subject to an order of protection and need to address a violation allegation, request a modification, or respond to a motion to extend the order’s term. Because family offense cases can move on a short timeline once a petition is filed, Mr. Sris and the firm’s Of Counsel attorneys focus on preparing clients for each court appearance and explaining, in plain terms, what a given hearing is meant to decide. The firm’s intake line is staffed 24/7, so a person facing an urgent family offense filing in Kings County can reach the firm to begin that process.

About the Firm

The firm was founded in 1997 and has represented clients in family law matters since that year. Mr. Sris, the firm’s Owner and Founder, is a former prosecutor who is admitted to practice in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York. He studied at George Mason University, and his background in accounting and information systems has been applied to complex financial and technology-related cases, including matters where financial records or digital evidence play a role in a family offense proceeding.

Beyond Mr. Sris, the firm’s roster includes Of Counsel attorneys who contract directly with the firm and contribute to its family law practice. Court filings and case strategy in Brooklyn matters are handled by Mr. Sris and the firm’s Of Counsel attorneys, working together to prepare each case for Kings County Family Court.

The firm is based in Fairfax, Virginia, and does not maintain a location in Brooklyn or elsewhere in Kings County. Clients in the Brooklyn area are served by appointment, and consultations can be arranged by phone. The firm does not offer free consultations; a person can request a consultation by calling the number listed on this page. This structure allows the firm to serve clients across the jurisdictions where Mr. Sris is admitted while focusing each engagement on the specific court and procedural rules that apply to that client’s case.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does an order of protection last in Brooklyn?
Under Family Court Act §842, an order of protection issued in a Kings County family offense proceeding may run for a period not in excess of two years. A court may extend that period to not in excess of five years if it finds, on the record, that aggravating circumstances exist, as defined in Family Court Act §827(a)(vii), or that the respondent violated an existing valid order of protection. An existing order can also be extended later on motion, for good cause shown or with the parties’ consent. Because the applicable duration depends on findings specific to each case, a person should review the details of a pending or existing order with counsel rather than assume a particular timeframe applies. Mr. Sris and the firm’s Of Counsel attorneys can review a specific order’s terms with a client.

Who can file a family offense petition in Kings County?
Family Court Act §812 allows a family offense petition between members of the same family or household, a category that includes relatives by blood or marriage, current or former spouses, parents who share a child in common, and people in an intimate relationship regardless of whether they have lived together. The statute lists specific offenses that can support a petition, such as harassment, stalking, menacing, assault, and strangulation-related conduct, along with coercion and other listed offenses; this list has been expanded by the legislature over time. Family Court and the criminal courts share concurrent jurisdiction over these matters, so a person may pursue a case in either forum depending on the circumstances.

What can a Brooklyn order of protection require a respondent to do?
Family Court Act §842 permits a range of conditions, including stay-away, no-contact, and no-harassment provisions, participation in a batterer’s education program, payment of counsel fees, protection of a companion animal, return of specified identification documents, and restrictions on remotely accessing the other party’s connected devices. The court may also include any other condition it finds necessary to carry out the order’s protective purpose. In a family offense proceeding, a court may additionally award temporary custody and temporary child support and may set a further hearing on temporary spousal support. The specific conditions imposed depend on the facts found at hearing, so the terms of one order will not necessarily match another.

Can an order of protection affect custody or visitation?
Yes. In a family offense proceeding, Family Court Act §842 authorizes the court to award temporary custody and temporary child support as part of the order, and it may schedule a further hearing addressing temporary spousal support. Because a family offense case in Brooklyn can happen alongside an existing or pending custody arrangement, the outcome of the family offense petition may shape how parenting time or decision-making authority is handled while the order is in effect. Anyone involved in a family offense matter that touches custody should raise those concerns directly with the court and with counsel so the order’s terms reflect the family’s actual parenting situation.

Does the firm handle both petitioners and respondents in Brooklyn family offense cases?
Yes. Mr. Sris and the firm’s Of Counsel attorneys represent individuals on both sides of a Kings County family offense proceeding: those seeking an order of protection and those responding to a petition. Each role requires a different focus, from establishing the elements of an enumerated offense under Family Court Act §812 to addressing the specific conditions and duration a petitioner is requesting under Family Court Act §842. The firm does not offer free consultations. To discuss a pending or anticipated Brooklyn family offense matter, call (888) 437-7747 to schedule a consultation with the firm.

This page provides general information and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Case results depend on a variety of factors unique to each case. Results may vary.

Attorney Advertising. Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C., principal office: 4008 Williamsburg Court, Fairfax, VA 22032. By appointment. Call (888) 437-7747 to schedule.

Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.