A Family Offense is an act committed against a party wherein it is alleged (and determined) that the actor’s conduct included any number of incidents that would be deemed one of a number of enumerable criminal acts pursuant to the New York Penal Law.

Courts can issue a Stay-Away Order of Protection wherein the actor is not permitted to be in the presence of the protected party, their home, their place of business and are not permitted to contact the victim, except for circumstances carved out in said Order.

In the alternative, Courts may also issue a Refrain From Order of Protection wherein there is no restriction on being in the presence of the protected party, but must not engage in any of the enumerated conduct prohibited in the Order, including but not limited to harassing the protected party.