A judge may issue a no contact order in a family law case. This ruling bars the accused from initiating any contact with the supposed victim. Often, a no contact ruling is issued to help victims of family violence. Read on for more insight.

Forbidden contact

A no contact ruling basically advises against in-person contact with the supposed victim. In fact, the defendant must maintain a specified distance away from the victim's home, place of work and other known areas that the victim likes to frequent. Besides physical contact, the defendant is also barred from communicating with the victim through various media such as telephone calls, emails, text messages or social media messaging. Moreover, any form of indirect contact with the alleged victim, including passing a letter to the victim through a third party is also prohibited.

Note that the ban on contact remains active even if the victim chooses to initiate contact with the defendant. Case in point, if a spouse obtains a no contact order against their partner, but later on the spouse opts to patch up their differences with their partner and invites them back into the matrimonial home, the defendant may still be liable for violation of the no contact order. Only when the involved parties mutually agree to revoke the order and the family court feels the order is no longer needed is when the cancellation of the order can be achieved.

Flouting of no contact orders

If the defendant to whom a no contact order was issued against acts contrary to the laid-out instructions, he or she may face severe consequences. These include potential prison time, loss of particular civil rights or payment of hefty fines. Additionally, the defendant may also be found in contempt of court and may face related consequences.

Actions to steer clear of

Taking into account the potential ramifications of violating a no contact order, avoidance is better in this case. When a no contact order is issued against you, spare some time to read the fine print to understand what's expected of you. If you bump into the victim unexpectedly in a public space, you should leave the vicinity immediately. If the victim claims that the order has been annulled, you should not heed their words blindly. Instead, ask for proof of the no contact order cancellation and inspect the document.

The potential ramifications of a no contact order, as well as the repercussions for flouting it are severe. Therefore, contact a family lawyer to put up a solid defence to stop a no contact ruling being issued against you.