Annapolis Peace and Protective Order Lawyer
FrizWoods represents people seeking peace or protective orders and people responding to petitions in Annapolis. We accept standalone civil hearings and cases that overlap with assault or another criminal allegation.
Annapolis has an Anne Arundel County District Court location at the Robert F. Sweeney District Court Building, 251 Rowe Boulevard, as well as the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County. Our Severna Park office serves clients throughout the county.
Luke Woods is a former supervising public defender with more than 20 years of trial experience. Max Frizalone is a former Maryland prosecutor and public defender. The firm represents only one side in each case.
Call (877) 343-1031 or request a free consultation about an incident, petition, existing order, or hearing.
Which type of order applies?
A protective order and a peace order are separate proceedings:
- A protective order requires a relationship listed in Maryland's protective-order law. The categories include current and former spouses, qualifying cohabitants and relatives, co-parents, certain recent sexual partners, and other listed people.
- A peace order generally applies when the petitioner does not fit a protective-order relationship. It may involve a neighbor, coworker, classmate, acquaintance, or another person outside the listed relationships.
Each type of case also requires qualifying conduct. The court does not grant an order based only on a difficult relationship or disagreement.
The peace or protective order next-step tool offers a private guided starting point. The statewide protective-order overview and peace-order overview explain the legal standards in detail.
Representation for someone seeking protection
For a petitioner, FrizWoods can help:
- Determine which statute applies
- Prepare a clear, dated account for the sworn petition
- Organize complete messages, photographs, videos, medical or repair records, and witness information
- Identify the relief supported by the facts
- Prepare exhibits and testimony for a temporary or final hearing
A peace-order petition must be filed within 30 days after the alleged qualifying act. Protective-order eligibility depends on both the relationship and the alleged abuse.
Representation after service
An interim or temporary order must be followed unless the court modifies or rescinds it. If you were served, avoid prohibited direct or indirect contact and preserve records instead of deleting them.
We can review the petition and current order, compare allegations with the statute, identify witnesses, organize exhibits, prepare testimony and cross-examination, and address any related criminal case.
Preparing for an Annapolis hearing
Anne Arundel County also has a District Court location in Glen Burnie. Check the hearing notice carefully rather than assuming that an Anne Arundel County matter will be heard in Annapolis.
Useful preparation includes:
- The petition, every current order, the hearing notice, and proof of service
- A dated timeline
- Complete text, email, and social-media conversations
- Photographs, videos, medical records, repair records, and location information
- Witness names and a short description of personal knowledge
- Documents related to any requested housing, child, financial, vehicle, pet, firearm, workplace, school, or cost provision
Anne Arundel County order resources
- Anne Arundel County protective order lawyer
- Anne Arundel County peace order lawyer
- Protective order vs. peace order guide
- Alleged violation of a protective order
- Alleged violation of a peace order
- Annapolis criminal lawyer
Talk with an Annapolis peace and protective order lawyer
The hearing schedule can be short, and the peace-order filing window is limited. Call (877) 343-1031 or use the confidential consultation form to discuss the next step.