Dissolving or Modifying a Domestic Violence Injunction

A Court ordered domestic violence injunction may be dissolved or modifed if there is a sufficient showing of changed circumstances.  This is done when one or both parties can show that the events or scenario that caused the injunction to be created no longer exist to justify the injunction to remain in place as originally ordered.  Alkhoury v. Alkhoury, 54 So. 3d 641 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2011).  An order may be modified or completely dissolved in situations where the parties have interacted without violence for several years, the former spouses or partners live far away from each other, or when the only reason for interaction between the parties has recently ended or will end in the near future.  For example, when the only interaction between the parties involves timesharing exchanges of their children and the children have reached the age of majority or are able to drive themselves to the other parent’s home.  Ramirez v. Ramirez, 1 D10-5888 (Fla. 1st DCA May 18, 2012).  If it can be shown that the continuation of the injunction would serve no valid purpose, the court will likely modify or completey dissolve the existing domestic violence injunction.  There is no rule on how soon a party can apply to modify or dissolve an injunction.