You have ten days until your two‑party hearing. One chance to get it right. Experienced Massachusetts attorneys are standing by — confidential, no‑pressure consultation.
An ex parte order is in place against you. Your two‑party hearing is within ten days. You may have already been ordered to surrender firearms, leave your home, or stay away from a workplace or family member.
Time matters. So does what you do — and don’t — say between now and your hearing.
Talk to an attorney →Someone has harassed, threatened, or abused you. You want an order in place — and you want it to hold up at the ten‑day hearing.
A well‑prepared petitioner with counsel is far more likely to obtain and keep an order than one who walks in alone.
Talk to an attorney →Massachusetts harassment and abuse prevention orders are designed to move fast. Ex parte orders enter on the strength of one side’s affidavit. Within ten business days, both sides appear — and a judge decides whether the order continues for up to a year.
The petitioner appears alone. A judge issues a temporary order on the affidavit — often within minutes. You may not know until you’re served.
The order takes effect immediately. Firearms must be surrendered. Contact is forbidden — directly or through third parties. Violations are criminal.
Both sides appear. Witnesses testify. The judge decides whether the order continues — for up to one year, or longer on extension.
Housing. Employment. Custody. Professional licenses. Firearms. Immigration. A continued order can reshape every part of your life.
Do not wait. Anything you say to the petitioner, to police, on social media, or in text messages between now and the hearing can — and will — be used against you. The first call should be to a lawyer.
209A and 258E hearings are unlike any other proceeding in Massachusetts. They move quickly, the rules of evidence are relaxed, and the burden is lower than in a criminal case. Generalist representation is not enough.
Defending respondents against abuse prevention orders involving spouses, partners, family, or household members. From emergency hearings to one‑year extensions to vacatur.
Defending against harassment prevention orders brought by neighbors, coworkers, strangers, or former acquaintances. The three‑acts standard is technical — and winnable.
For petitioners who want the order obtained — and kept. We help victims of harassment and abuse build a record that holds up at the ten‑day hearing and on extension.
Our attorneys have spent years inside Massachusetts courtrooms — Quincy, Dedham, Stoughton, Boston, Concord, and District and Superior Courts across the Commonwealth. We know the judges. We know the clerks. We know how 209A and 258E hearings actually run, and how they’re won.
Restraining and harassment order work is not a sideline for us. It is core practice. We have handled hundreds of these matters — for respondents fighting to clear their name and for petitioners fighting to stay safe. Our courtroom record speaks for itself.
We answer the phone. We return calls. And when a hearing is ten days out, we move at the speed your case demands.
Tell us what happened. We listen, ask the right questions, and give you an honest read on where you stand — usually within the same business day.
If we’re a fit, we put a flat‑fee engagement in writing and get to work. Evidence collection, witness prep, affidavit drafting — all before the ten‑day clock runs out.
We appear with you, examine the witnesses, present the evidence, and argue the law. Our attorneys are in these hearings constantly — and it shows.
209A — the Abuse Prevention Act — applies when the parties are family, household members, dating partners, or have a child together. The petitioner must show “abuse” as defined by statute.
258E — the Harassment Prevention Act — applies between people who are not in a 209A relationship: neighbors, coworkers, strangers, former friends. The petitioner must prove three or more acts of willful and malicious conduct (or certain enumerated offenses). The standards and defenses are different, and the difference matters.
Both sides appear before a judge. The petitioner usually testifies first, followed by any witnesses. The respondent can cross‑examine, present evidence, and testify. The judge then decides whether to continue the order — typically for up to one year — based on the legal standard for the particular order.
If a 209A order issues against you, surrender is automatic and immediate. 258E orders may include firearms surrender at the judge’s discretion. Even temporary ex parte orders trigger surrender. A successful defense at the ten‑day hearing is often the difference between getting your license and firearms back — and not.
In Massachusetts, expungement of a 209A or 258E record is rare and difficult — but not impossible in the right case. The standard is high, the case law is unforgiving, and it requires careful work. We can evaluate whether your matter fits the narrow category that qualifies.
If a respondent does not appear, the order will almost certainly be extended — often for a full year — without any contest. Missing the hearing is the single most damaging thing a respondent can do. If you cannot attend, call counsel immediately.
No. Any contact — calls, texts, social media, letters, messages through friends or family — is a violation of the order. Violations are criminal offenses. Even an “I’m sorry” text can land you in handcuffs and become the centerpiece of the case against you. Talk to a lawyer first, always.
Yes. Both 209A and 258E orders can be appealed to the Appellate Division. Strict deadlines apply — typically thirty days from entry of the order. If you’ve already been through a hearing and want a second opinion on appeal, call as soon as possible.
Statewide. We appear regularly in District Courts across Norfolk, Suffolk, Plymouth, Middlesex, and Worcester Counties, and we travel anywhere in the Commonwealth — including the Cape, North Shore, and Western Massachusetts — when the case calls for it.
Free, confidential consultation. We respond fast — because in this practice area, that’s the only speed that works.