Section 19-13-4. Protective orders and consent agreements; contents; issuing copy of order to sheriff; expiration; enforcement

   (a) The court may, upon the filing of a verified petition, grant any protective order or approve any consent agreement to bring about a cessation of acts of family violence. The court shall not have the authority to issue or approve mutual protective orders concerning paragraph (1), (2), (5), (9), or (11) of this subsection, or any combination thereof, unless the respondent has filed a verified petition as a counter petition pursuant to Code Section 19-13-3 no later than three days, not including Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, prior to the hearing and the provisions of Code Section 19-13-3 have been satisfied. The orders or agreements may:

   (1) Direct the respondent to refrain from such acts;

   (2) Grant to a party possession of the residence or household of the parties and exclude the other party from the residence or household;

   (3) Require a party to provide suitable alternate housing for a spouse, former spouse, or parent and the parties' child or children;

   (4) Award temporary custody of minor children and establish temporary visitation rights;

   (5) Order the eviction of a party from the residence or household and order assistance to the victim in returning to it, or order assistance in retrieving personal property of the victim if the respondent's eviction has not been ordered;

   (6) Order either party to make payments for the support of a minor child as required by law;

   (7) Order either party to make payments for the support of a spouse as required by law;

   (8) Provide for possession of personal property of the parties;

   (9) Order the respondent to refrain from harassing or interfering with the victim;

   (10) Award costs and attorney's fees to either party; and

   (11) Order the respondent to receive appropriate psychiatric or psychological services as a further measure to prevent the recurrence of family violence.

(b) A copy of the order shall be issued by the clerk of the superior court to the sheriff of the county wherein the order was entered and shall be retained by the sheriff as long as that order shall remain in effect.

(c) Any order granted under this Code section shall remain in effect for up to one year; provided, however, that upon the motion of a petitioner and notice to the respondent and after a hearing, the court in its discretion may convert a temporary order granted under this Code section to an order effective for not more than three years or to a permanent order.

(d) A protective order issued pursuant to this Code section shall apply and shall be effective throughout this state. It shall be the duty of every superior court and of every sheriff, every deputy sheriff, and every state, county, or municipal law enforcement officer within this state to enforce and carry out the terms of any valid protective order issued by any court under the provisions of this Code section.

Ga. L. 1981, p. 880, § 4; Ga. L. 1982, p. 2300, §§ 1, 2; Ga. L. 1988, p. 1250, § 1; Ga. L. 1993, p. 788, § 1; Ga. L. 1994, p. 1270, § 8; Ga. L. 2000, p. 1081, § 2; Ga. L. 2003, p. 652, § 2.