I have a protection order against my ex-husband, who continues to call me and harass me. He also drives past my house at night. The police pulled him over once, but didn t do anything else. My husband physically abuses me. My friend told me to go to the police, and someone else told me to hire a lawyer.
Most states have both criminal and civil domestic violence laws.
You could contact the police to report the abuse. Your husband may then be arrested and charged. Depending on the outcome of the court hearings and whether he is tried and found guilty, he may be put in jail and the judge may order a temporary protection order that prevents him from contacting you and your children. Some states, like Ohio, also have laws that allow you to file for a protection order without contacting the police. A civil protection order will restrain your husband from contacting you and your children and will give you temporary custody of your children.