Living in fear of what might happen at home tonight can make every decision feel impossible. You might be weighing whether to call the police, whether to leave, or whether anyone in the Glendale courts will believe what you are living through. At the same time, you may be worried about your children, your home, your immigration status, and how you will manage if you take action.
Domestic violence laws in California, and how they work in Glendale in particular, can feel confusing from the outside. You may have heard people talk about restraining orders, but not really understand what they cover, how quickly you can get one, or what they mean for custody and support. Many people also assume that unless there are obvious injuries or a long history of police reports, the court will do nothing, which is not how the law actually works.
At Holmes & Holmes, Attorneys at Law, our family-run firm has focused only on family law in Glendale and Southern California for decades, and our attorneys share more than 136 years of combined family law practice. Led by Attorney Leslie Ann Holmes, who holds a Certified Family Law credential from the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, and working alongside Attorney Jamie M. Holmes and Robert K. Holmes, we have guided many clients through domestic violence restraining orders, custody disputes, and divorce. In this guide, we draw on that experience to explain how domestic violence laws function in real Glendale cases and how you can use them to protect yourself and your family.
Contact our trusted family lawyer in Glendale at (818) 284-6632 to schedule a confidential consultation.
What Domestic Violence Means Under California Law
Many people in Glendale only think of domestic violence as serious physical assaults. California law goes much further. Under the laws that govern family courts, domestic violence includes physical harm, but it also includes threats, harassment, stalking, and conduct that disturbs the peace of the other person. Disturbing the peace can encompass behavior that destroys your mental or emotional calm, such as relentless tracking, humiliation, or intimidation.
Domestic violence protections apply when there is a certain type of relationship between you and the person harming you. This includes current or former spouses, people who live or have lived together, people who share a child, dating or engaged partners, and certain close family members. If your situation involves someone in one of these categories, the family court in Glendale can usually hear your request for a restraining order. This is true whether you are still living together or you have already separated.
Court cases often involve patterns that do not fit the stereotype of a single, severe incident. We see situations where one partner controls all the money, monitors calls and messages, isolates the other from family in Glendale or abroad, or threatens to use immigration status against them. Courts can recognize this type of coercive and controlling behavior as domestic violence, especially when it is documented. You do not need a stack of previous police reports before you can ask for protection, although any past reports, records, or photos can strengthen your case.
Because our practice is devoted entirely to family law, we regularly see how judges in local Southern California courts analyze these patterns. They pay attention to dates, consistency in your story, and whether the behavior makes it unsafe or unreasonable for you or your children to continue living or interacting with the other person in the same way. Understanding that the law covers more than physical injury helps you decide whether it is time to use the tools available to you.
Types of Domestic Violence Restraining Orders Available in Glendale
When you are in danger, timing matters. California law offers several types of protective orders that can apply in Glendale, and they operate on different timelines. Knowing the differences can help you plan your next steps more safely and realistically, especially if you are deciding when to leave or whether to return home.
Emergency Protective Orders, often called EPOs, are short-term orders that law enforcement can request from a judge on your behalf, usually after responding to a domestic violence call. These orders are typically issued by an on-call judge and can take effect immediately, often for only a few days. They can include provisions such as requiring the abusive person to leave the home and stay away from you and your children. EPOs are designed to give you a brief window of safety so you can seek a longer-lasting order through the family court.
Temporary Restraining Orders, or TROs, are requested directly from the family court, often at courthouses that serve Glendale residents. You or your attorney submits paperwork describing the abuse, along with any supporting documents like text messages, emails, or photos. A judge usually reviews this paperwork on the same court day or within a short time, without the other person present. If the judge grants a TRO, it can order no contact, stay-away distances, temporary control of the home, and temporary custody and visitation arrangements for children. The TRO typically stays in place until the full hearing on a long-term order.
Long-term protection comes through a Domestic Violence Restraining Order, often called a DVRO. A DVRO is issued after a hearing where both sides have the chance to speak and present evidence. In our experience with Glendale-area courts, these hearings are often set within a few weeks of the TRO being granted, depending on the court’s schedule. A DVRO can last several years and can be renewed under certain conditions. It can include detailed terms about contact, living arrangements, custody, visitation, and firearms restrictions that carry serious consequences if violated.
Some people are also involved in criminal cases, where a criminal court might issue its own protective order. This is separate from the family court restraining order, although the two can overlap in content. Our role often involves helping clients understand how these orders interact and supporting them in making sure that the family court orders protect their day-to-day needs in ways criminal orders may not, especially regarding children and financial issues.
How the Restraining Order Process Works in Glendale Courts
Filing for a restraining order is more than filling out a form at the courthouse. The process in Glendale-area courts has several stages, each with its own stress points and strategic choices. Having a clear picture of what happens at each step can help you prepare and feel less blindsided when you walk into the courthouse.
The process typically starts with preparing detailed paperwork for the family court. This includes a primary request form and a declaration where you describe, in your own words, what has happened and why you need protection. Judges generally look for specific dates, descriptions of incidents, any injuries, threats, property damage, and whether children were present or affected. Attaching evidence, such as screenshots of threatening texts, call logs, photos, or medical records, can make a big difference in how a judge sees your request.
Once the paperwork is filed, a judge usually reviews it the same day or soon after, without the other person present. At this stage, the judge decides whether to grant a Temporary Restraining Order. The judge might grant all the protections you request, only some of them, or, in some cases, decline to grant a TRO if the papers do not show enough immediate risk. This is where clear, organized declarations and evidence are especially important. In our work across Southern California courts, we see self-represented people struggle when their declarations are long but lack specific, date-based details, or when key documents are missing or out of order.
If a TRO is granted, it must be formally served on the person you are seeking protection from. Without proper service, the court generally cannot move forward to the full hearing. Service often needs to be performed by someone who is not involved in the case, such as a sheriff or a registered process server. In some Glendale cases, the person being served tries to avoid service, which can cause delays. Having a legal team that understands practical service options can help reduce those delays and support you in getting the hearing in front of the judge.
The hearing on a long-term Domestic Violence Restraining Order is where both sides appear in court. You may testify, present documents and photos, and, in some cases, have witnesses. The other person can do the same. Judges in these hearings often deal with conflicting stories. They tend to focus on whether your version is detailed, consistent, and supported, where possible by outside evidence. They also pay close attention to current risk, especially if children are involved. Because our firm has practiced exclusively in family law for decades, we are familiar with how local courts run these hearings, how much time you are likely to have to testify, and what kinds of preparation help clients feel ready to speak clearly under pressure.
How Domestic Violence Findings Affect Custody & Parenting Time
For many parents in Glendale, the central fear is not just their own safety but what will happen to their children. California law requires courts to consider domestic violence when making decisions about custody and parenting time. Certain findings of domestic violence within the past several years can change how judges look at shared custody requests and may create a presumption against awarding legal or physical custody to the parent found to have committed domestic violence.
When you request a restraining order that involves children, the court can issue temporary custody and visitation orders at the same time as the TRO. These orders can specify where the children will live, who will make decisions for them, and when and how they will see the other parent. Even though these orders are temporary, judges in Glendale-area courts often look back at them when making longer-term custody decisions, particularly if the arrangement has worked well and kept the children safe.
In cases involving domestic violence, courts frequently use tools like supervised visitation, where the other parent’s contact with the children occurs in the presence of an approved supervisor, or exchange locations that are neutral and safer, such as offices or designated community sites. Over time, if there is evidence of changed behavior and the children are safe, judges may gradually adjust these arrangements. In other cases, especially where there is ongoing risk, courts may continue with tighter restrictions to protect the children and reduce the chances of renewed harm.
We often hear parents worry that if they report abuse, the court will automatically treat both parents as equally at fault, or that the other parent will somehow gain more time by claiming the survivor is alienating the children. In our experience focused on family law, courts are more nuanced than that. Judges look at patterns of behavior, who has been the primary caregiver, how each parent supports the child’s relationship with the other parent, and any evidence of using the children to manipulate or control. A clear presentation of the history, along with child-focused requests, helps the court separate normal conflict from genuine abuse and prioritize stability and safety.
Because we regularly handle high-conflict custody disputes tied to domestic violence, we understand how findings in a restraining order case can influence later custody and visitation rulings. Part of our work is helping clients think several steps ahead so that their requests in the restraining order case align with their long-term goals for parenting arrangements and the kind of day-to-day life they want for their children.
Protecting Your Home, Finances & Immigration Status When Abuse Is Involved
Fear about money and housing keeps many people in Glendale in dangerous situations longer than they want to be. California’s community property rules do not disappear because domestic violence has occurred, and leaving the home for safety does not automatically mean you have given up your rights to that property. Courts can make temporary orders about who lives in the home, who pays which bills, and how to handle joint accounts while a restraining order or divorce case is pending.
In our family law practice, we often see domestic violence intertwined with financial abuse. One partner may withhold access to bank accounts, prevent the other from working, or run up debt in the other person’s name. These facts are relevant to both domestic violence and financial issues. When a judge sees a pattern of financial control used as a tool of abuse, that can influence orders for temporary support and can shape how property and debts are divided later under California’s community property laws, including decisions about the family home, vehicles, investments, and retirement accounts.
Temporary protective orders can address some of these issues, such as granting you exclusive use of the home, ordering the other person to move out, or setting temporary child and spousal support. In Glendale, many people are surprised to learn that they can request these financial protections in the same court process where they seek safety orders, rather than waiting months for a separate hearing. Coordinating those requests thoughtfully can make the transition out of an abusive situation more manageable and reduce the risk of being forced back into contact because of financial pressure.
Immigration-related threats are also common. Abusers may tell victims that if they leave or talk to the court, they will be deported or lose status. Family courts in California focus on safety and the best interests of the children, not on punishing someone for their immigration status. While specific immigration relief is handled in other legal systems, part of our role is connecting clients with the right type of legal support when these issues arise, and supporting them in using the family court process even when immigration is a concern.
Because our firm regularly handles high-asset and complex property matters, we pay close attention to how financial and property decisions made in the context of domestic violence will affect your long-term stability. Our work includes helping clients protect their interests in homes, businesses, and retirement accounts so they can leave an unsafe situation with a clearer path to rebuilding their lives.
Building Your Case: Evidence & Safety Planning
In domestic violence cases, your safety comes first, and your legal preparation needs to fit within that reality. Courts in Glendale and throughout Southern California regularly rely on a combination of your testimony and whatever supporting evidence you can safely gather. Understanding what often matters to judges helps you prioritize what to collect and how to organize it without increasing your risk.
Evidence in family court domestic violence cases often includes text messages, emails, call logs, photos of injuries or damaged property, and medical records documenting what you reported to doctors or nurses. Sometimes, there are prior police reports or records from counselors or therapists. A long string of text messages showing escalating threats can be more persuasive than a single out-of-context screenshot, so it helps to preserve conversations in order, even if that means printing them or saving them in a secure format.
Judges also pay close attention to the timeline. Keeping a written record for yourself that notes dates, times, locations, what happened, and who witnessed it can make your declaration and testimony clearer. If your children or neighbors have witnessed incidents, the court may allow their statements or testimony in certain circumstances. In our work, we often help clients create a concise timeline of key events. This makes it easier for them to testify calmly and consistently, and for the judge to follow the pattern of what has been happening over time.
Safety planning is just as important as collecting evidence. If you share devices or accounts with the abusive person, saving documents or messages on that shared phone or email account can be risky. Many survivors choose to forward information to a trusted friend, use a secure cloud account with a new password, or print materials and keep them somewhere safe, such as at work or with a relative. Small steps like changing passwords, turning off location sharing on certain apps, and being careful about what is stored on shared devices can reduce the chance that your planning is discovered.
Not everyone feels ready to contact law enforcement, especially if there are cultural, community, or immigration concerns. However, if you are in immediate danger in Glendale or anywhere in Southern California, calling 911 is often the fastest way to get help, and responding officers can document what they see and help you request an Emergency Protective Order. As a family law firm, we often work with clients before or after they interact with police to align their safety planning, court filings, and long-term family law strategy so that each step supports the others.
Why Local, Family-Focused Counsel Matters in Glendale Domestic Violence Cases
Domestic violence cases do not exist in a vacuum. In Glendale, they are often intertwined with divorce, child custody, child support, and complex property issues. Working with a firm that focuses exclusively on family law means your legal strategy can address all of these pieces together, rather than treating a restraining order as a one-time event unrelated to your long-term future.
At Holmes & Holmes, Attorneys at Law, our attorneys have devoted their careers to California family law. With well over a century of combined experience and advanced family law credentials in our leadership, we know how Glendale-area courts typically structure restraining orders, parenting plans, and property divisions when safety is at stake. That local knowledge helps us think through questions such as which court to file in first, how to coordinate restraining order, custody, and divorce filings, and how to avoid conflicting orders that can create confusion later.
Our firm is also a family-run practice that represents the diverse communities of Glendale. We serve clients in English, Spanish, and Armenian, which can be crucial if language has been used as a means of control or isolation in the relationship. Being able to explain what is happening in court and what your options are, in the language you understand best, reduces confusion and fear at a time when you are already under intense stress.
Different situations call for different strategies. In some domestic violence cases, careful negotiation or mediation, with robust safety measures, can lead to workable agreements on custody, support, and property while still securing necessary protections. In other cases, especially where there is a severe or ongoing risk, a more aggressive litigation approach is necessary to help safeguard you and your children. Because we do nothing but family law, we are comfortable in either arena and build a customized plan around your specific risks, goals, and tolerance for conflict.
Talk With a Glendale Family Law Firm About Your Safety & Next Steps
Navigating domestic violence in Glendale involves more than knowing that restraining orders exist. It means understanding how California law views different types of abuse, how local courts handle requests for protection, and how decisions you make now will affect your children, your home, and your financial future. You do not have to answer those questions alone or rely on incomplete information from generic articles or friends’ experiences.
A confidential conversation with a family-law-focused firm can help you sort through your options, decide which protections to seek, and plan the timing of each step in a way that prioritizes safety. At Holmes & Holmes, Attorneys at Law, we draw on decades of focused family law practice in Glendale and Southern California to help clients build realistic, effective strategies for leaving or changing unsafe situations.
If you are ready to talk about what these laws may mean for you and your family, reach out at (818) 284-6632 and we can walk through your circumstances together.