Washington law makes anti-harassment orders available when someone assaults, stalks, causes physical harm or bodily injury, or threatens to cause such harm. Anti-harassment orders can also prohibit violations of privacy such as surveillance.
Contact us at Genesis to speak with a Snohomish County anti-harassment lawyer (Everett anti-harassment attorney) located in Everett’s city center. Our firm only hires attorneys with outstanding legal backgrounds, and our style of practice enables us to charge more reasonable hourly rates than most of our competitors. We invite you to explore this site to learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Someone hit me. Should I request an anti-harassment order or domestic violence order? Both anti-harassment orders and dv orders can issue from an assault or battery. The trick is in determining which fits the factual pattern best. The following are few good rules of thumb to keep in mind:
- If the violence was a one-time incident, anti-harassment probably is not the right remedy; harassment entails a course of conduct rather than an isolated event.
- Domestic violence is between family members, friends, and ex’s; harassment can be between anyone.
- An anti-harassment order is not appropriate if the incident qualifies as domestic violence.
If you still cannot tell whether to request an anti-harassment order or dv order, you might consider requesting both.
Can I get an anti-harassment order for a one-time event? Probably not. Statutory law defines harassment as a course of conduct. Most judges and commissioners in Snohomish County interpret the term “course of conduct” as meaning numerous actions.
Can the police help me get an anti-harassment order? The police can recommend that the prosecutor’s office pursue a criminal protection order on your behalf, but not a civil anti-harassment order. Civil anti-harassment orders are they type that individuals pursue on their own. Police can only act as witnesses in civil anti-harassment cases.
My neighbor constantly starts arguments with me. Can he or she get an anti-harassment order against me now? Statutory law prevents against this outcome by instructing courts to consider who initiated contact. As practical matter, however, a court might issue an ant-harassment order to keep you and your neighbor apart regardless who “started it.”
My neighbor keeps filing petty anti-harassment petitions against me. When will the law make him or her stop? Your neighbor can file as many anti-harassment petitions as he or she likes, but the standard for winning the cases becomes much higher after he or she tries and fails twice. The court can also require the neighbor to pay your attorney fees if the filing(s) truly seem frivolous.