Costs Of Getting A Harassment Restraining Order

There are quite a few unseen expenses while going through this process. Court has it's fees, your attorney has their fees, there is time off work, travelling to and from the courthouse, possible childcare and more.

When filing your petition for the restraining order you generally have to pay some sort of court filing fee. In our area it is around a couple hundred dollars. Many juristictions have some sort of rule that if you are the victim of a crime, such as an assault or robbery attempt, the filing can be free. If such is not the case, expect to pay a filing fee.

If you choose to get an attorney, which I personally recommend, that will cost you, and lawyers typically don't come cheap. It should be noted though, their services can be priceless. If you are not comfortable in a courtroom, or familiar with the process, it would behoove you to have one.

The less visible costs are that of lost work time. Courtrooms in my area have two sessions, morning and afternoon. If you are scheduled in the morning you have to be there when the courtroom opens and stay there until your case is called. You could be there for the whole session. If it is continued, you could waste another half-day. There may also be child care considerations during that time, travel time and gas costs depending on how far the courthouse is from you.

Bottom line here is that the costs can add up to a considerable amount of money.