Restraining Order Defense Attorney in Cortez, Colorado
Being served with a protection order in Cortez can turn your life upside down overnight. You lose access to your home, can't see your children, and must surrender firearms within 24 hours. Whether someone filed the order during a divorce, a custody fight, or after an exaggerated argument, the consequences are real in Montezuma County courts.
Barrie Newberger King defends clients facing unjust restraining orders throughout Montezuma County and the 22nd Judicial District. She spent eight years as a Deputy Public Defender and knows how these cases work in Southwest Colorado. The temporary order gets issued at an ex parte hearing where only the petitioner appears—you won't know about it until you're served. You have fourteen days to prepare for the permanent hearing that decides your future.
Defending Your Rights Against Unjust Protection Orders
False allegations happen. Barrie regularly sees protection orders filed as tactical moves in divorce cases or custody battles—one spouse exaggerates an argument, mischaracterizes self-defense as aggression, or fabricates events entirely. Many of these cases involve domestic violence allegations that require careful examination of the relationship dynamics and evidence.
Colorado law lets anyone claim "imminent danger" and judges grant most temporary orders based on one-sided testimony. You get fourteen days from service to prepare for the permanent hearing. Barrie digs into the petitioner's allegations looking for inconsistencies, collects witness statements, reviews text messages, and builds evidence showing their claims don't hold up. The petitioner has to prove their case by a preponderance of the evidence, and she challenges every weak point in their story.
Understanding Colorado's Civil Protection Order Process
The petitioner files paperwork with Montezuma County Court and appears at an ex parte hearing where only they're present. If the judge believes they've shown imminent danger, the temporary order is issued immediately. You find out when you get served, and that order goes into effect right then—banning contact, keeping you away from certain locations, and requiring you to surrender firearms within 24 hours.
The temporary order stays in effect until the permanent hearing within fourteen days. Both sides show up. You can present evidence, call witnesses, and testify. Violating any part of the order—even accidentally—is acriminal offense, so understanding exactly what it prohibits matters from the moment you're served.
What You Risk with a Permanent Protection Order
A permanent protection order doesn't expire. You're prohibited from owning firearms under Colorado and federal law, your name goes into a statewide registry, and employers who run background checks will see it—potentially costing you your job or professional license. If you share children with the petitioner, the order can eliminate your parenting time. You might be forced out of your home regardless of ownership. The order creates a lasting presumption that you're dangerous, influencing future custody disputes and even unrelated criminal charges. In small communities like Cortez where everyone knows everyone, the social stigma follows you.
Get Experienced Legal Defense Today
If you've been served with a temporary protection order in Montezuma County, contact NewbergerKing Law for a free confidential consultation. That fourteen-day window before your permanent hearing passes fast, and she's defended clients in Montezuma County courts for over 11 years.
Don't show up to yourrestraining order hearing unprepared. The evidence you gather now and the defense you build in the next two weeks determines whether you lose your rights for years or walk away with the order dismissed.