Protective order defense in Ellis County

This page covers protective order cases in Ellis 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 Ellis County courts. For Texas-wide law, see our protective orders guide, and for other charges see the Ellis County criminal defense page.

Where are Ellis County protective order cases handled?

Protective order applications in Ellis County are civil cases. The County and District Attorney's Victim Assistance office, on the fourth floor at 109 S. Jackson St., Waxahachie, takes requests in person or by phone.

How does the Ellis County prosecutor handle protective orders?

The County and District Attorney's Office lists protective orders among its services. Its published rules say that the applicant or the alleged abuser must live in Ellis County, and that the applicant must give a daytime address where a constable can serve the respondent with notice of the hearing. If the applicant already has a divorce or a custody, support, visitation or paternity case pending in Ellis County, the office tells them to have their own attorney file the protective order in that case.

What happens after you are served in Ellis County?

That means a respondent usually learns of the case when a constable delivers the application, any temporary order and the hearing notice, often at work or another daytime address. Follow any temporary order immediately. If there is a pending divorce or custody case, the protective order may be filed inside that case, which affects which court hears it and how it interacts with custody issues.

How should you prepare for a Ellis County hearing?

Before the hearing, collect messages, call logs, photos and witness names, and decide with a lawyer whether to testify, because statements can be used in any related criminal case, which the same prosecutor's office would handle. Agreed orders can still carry firearm and housing consequences.

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