Are you a victim of stalking and clueless about what your next course of action should be? Put your safety first. Take all safety measures to ensure that the stalking situation does not progress from bad to worse.
Many marriages that are on the edge of falling apart tend to make way for stalking situations. There have been many recorded instances where former spouses or soon-to-be former spouses have turned into stalkers.
Stalking occurs when one follows, harasses or cyberstalks another wilfully, maliciously and repeatedly. Aggravated stalking is when the stalker makes a credible threat which induces reasonable fear for safety in the recipient. A credible threat can be either a verbal threat or a nonverbal one.
Actions of stalkers may start by repeatedly calling you or sending unwanted gifts. Then extend to damaging your property or monitoring your activities with the use of technology. Either way, these adverse actions cause substantial emotional distress and serve no legitimate purpose. That is when you should take action.
Stalking is against the law in all states. Therefore, the first course of action should be to inform law enforcement right away. Collecting all evidence of stalking can be helpful later on. If possible, tell the stalker once to stop all contact. After that, do not communicate or respond to any threats or messages by the stalker. It is best to travel in groups whenever possible to ensure further safety.
To obtain a civil injunction against stalking, also called a restraining order, the victim must file an emergency petition. Given that the filed petition is legally sufficient, a Temporary Injunction or restraining order will be granted. Once this is done, the Respondent must immediately cease all forms of contact with the Petitioner.
A final hearing will be scheduled for 15 days from the date of the Temporary Injunction. That is to let the Respondent relate their side of the story too as soon as possible. At the end of this hearing, the Injunction may be completely dismissed, or a Permanent Injunction may be granted. Violation of any Injunction, Temporary or Permanent, can result in being arrested and charged with crime.
If you are being stalked by your ex-spouse or soon-to-be ex-spouse here in Florida, obtain legal assistance right away. Yours and your loved ones’ safety come first and foremost. Contact Divorce Attorney Lake Mary,
no name now to gain legal assistance as your case deems necessary.
