Florida

Overview Florida law recognizes that individuals involved in intimate or romantic relationships may experience violence, threats, or coercion that warrants judicial intervention even outside a household or marriage. The Dating Violence Injunction, authorized by Florida Statute §784.046 and governed procedurally by Form 12.980(n), provides an equitable civil remedy for protection against such acts. This injunction…

Overview Violating a Dating Violence Injunction in Florida is a serious criminal offense with immediate and long-term consequences. These injunctions—issued under Florida Statute §784.046—are not mere civil directives. They are enforceable court orders with the full authority of the criminal justice system behind them. When a respondent defies an injunction by contacting, stalking, harassing, threatening,…

Overview Once you file a Petition for Injunction for Protection Against Dating Violence in Florida (Form 12.980(n)), a structured series of legal, administrative, and enforcement steps immediately follows. The process is designed to provide rapid protection for victims while ensuring due process for the respondent. Florida’s statutory framework under Section 784.046 guarantees that every petition…

Overview Florida’s injunction framework provides multiple protective remedies designed to stop violence, threats, and stalking between individuals in varying types of relationships. The two most commonly filed are the Domestic Violence Injunction under § 741.30 and the Dating Violence Injunction under § 784.046. Although both result in enforceable court orders that restrain a respondent from…

Overview A Dating Violence Injunction is one of Florida’s most powerful civil remedies for individuals who are, or have been, in a romantic or intimate relationship and who fear violence from that partner. Petitioners often assume that pursuing this legal protection will incur significant court fees or legal expenses. In reality, Florida law deliberately removes…

How Long Does a Dating Violence Injunction Last in Florida Overview A Dating Violence Injunction in Florida is a powerful court order issued under Florida Statute § 784.046 that protects individuals who are, or have been, in a continuing and significant romantic or intimate relationship from acts of violence or credible threats of harm. While…

Step-by-Step Process to Get a Dating Violence Injunction in Florida Overview A Dating Violence Injunction in Florida is a civil court order that offers legal protection to people who have been victims of violence, threats, or stalking within a romantic or intimate relationship. This process, governed by Florida Statute §784.046, allows anyone meeting the statutory…

Overview Form 12.980(n) — titled “Petition for Injunction for Protection Against Dating Violence” — is one of the official Florida Supreme Court–approved family law forms used statewide to help victims of dating violence obtain legal protection. It is part of the comprehensive set of injunction forms defined under Florida Statute § 784.046, which covers dating,…

Overview A Dating Violence Injunction in Florida is a civil court order designed to protect individuals from acts or threats of violence committed by someone with whom they have or had a romantic or intimate relationship. This protection is governed under Florida Statute §784.046, which also covers injunctions for repeat, sexual, and dating violence. A…

Overview Florida’s Dating Violence Injunction under § 784.046 exists to protect individuals who have experienced violence or credible threats of violence within a romantic or intimate relationship that has not necessarily involved cohabitation or marriage. The law bridges the gap between domestic violence—which applies to spouses, relatives, or cohabitants—and repeat or sexual violence, which apply…