Protective Order Defense in Collin County

This page covers protective order cases in Collin County: where they are heard, who prosecutes them and the local programs the county and its prosecutors run. Our office is in downtown Dallas at 325 N St. Paul Street; we handle cases in the Collin County courts. For Texas-wide law, see our protective orders guide, and for other charges see the Collin County criminal defense page.

Where are Collin County protective order cases handled?

Protective orders in Collin County are civil cases, separate from criminal charges. Any related criminal case is heard in the County Courts at Law or the district courts at the Russell A. Steindam Courts Building, 2100 Bloomdale Rd., McKinney.

How does the Collin County prosecutor handle protective orders?

The Collin County Criminal District Attorney's Domestic Violence Unit, at 2100 Bloomdale Rd., Suite 100, handles protective orders for applicants. According to the office, the process starts with a call to its Victim Assistance staff during business hours and a preliminary screening, followed by an application interview of about 30 minutes. A prosecutor from the unit then handles the case from intake through final disposition, and the same unit prosecutes select assault family violence cases and protective order violations.

What happens after you are served in Collin County?

Because one unit handles both the protective order and some of the related criminal cases, a respondent in Collin County should assume that testimony and evidence from the protective order hearing will be available to the criminal prosecutor. After service, follow any temporary ex parte order right away. If there was an arrest, the bond conditions set after booking at the Collin County Detention Facility, 4300 Community Ave., also still apply.

How should you prepare for a Collin County hearing?

Before the hearing, gather your evidence and witness names and decide, with counsel, whether to testify. Ask whether an agreed order, a continuance or a contested hearing makes the most sense, and how each could affect a pending criminal case, firearm rights and any custody arrangement. We help clients prepare and coordinate the protective order with any Collin County criminal case.

How does a protective order case work in Texas?

A family violence protective order is a civil case under the Family Code, but it carries criminal consequences. A court can sign a temporary ex parte order without a hearing, valid for up to 20 days and extendable (Family Code 83.002). The court generally must set the hearing on the application no later than 14 days after it is filed (Family Code 84.001). A final order is usually effective for up to two years, and in some cases longer (Family Code 85.025).

You have the right to appear at the hearing, present evidence and cross-examine witnesses. What you say there can be used in a related criminal case, so it is worth planning before the hearing. Violating an order can be charged under Penal Code 25.07, and a protective order can affect firearm rights and custody and housing arrangements.

What can a final protective order prohibit?

Under Family Code 85.022, a court that finds family violence can order the respondent not to commit family violence, not to communicate in a threatening or harassing way (or, for good cause, at all except through a lawyer), not to go to or near the protected person's home, workplace or a child's school or child-care facility, not to engage in harassing conduct such as following, and not to possess a firearm, with a narrow exception for certain peace officers. It can also order a battering intervention program.

What should I do now?

• Read the order and follow it from the moment you are served.
• Write down the hearing date, time and court.
• Do not contact the applicant, directly or through friends or social media.
• Save messages, call logs and photos, and list possible witnesses.

How do I get started?

The first consultation is free. It is with a Director of Client Engagement, not an attorney. Clients who hire us work with an attorney. Call (214) 239-2013 or start a chat. Phones and chat are answered 24/7, with AI covering when no staff is free.

Last updated October 2026