October 22, 2025—Princeton, New Jersey
Hand & Toker Family Law, LLC is proud to announce an appellate victory in M.K. v. B.L. (A-1849-23), in which the New Jersey Appellate Division upheld a Final Protective Order (FPO) issued under the Sexual Assault Survivor Protection Act (SASPA)—now known as the Victim’s Assistance and Survivor Protection Act (VASPA).
Our firm represented the plaintiff-respondent, a Princeton University student who sought protection following a 2023 campus incident involving nonconsensual sexual contact and strangulation. After a full evidentiary hearing, the Family Part found the conduct to be nonconsensual and entered a protective order to safeguard our client’s safety and well-being.
The defendant appealed, but the Appellate Division affirmed the trial court’s decision, holding that:
- New Jersey’s affirmative consent standard governs all determinations of voluntary sexual contact;
- A survivor’s credible testimony and emotional trauma can meet the statutory requirement of showing a “possibility of future risk” to safety or well-being; and
- Courts have broad discretion to craft tailored, campus-specific restrictions to ensure a survivor’s continued protection.
This decision reinforces the strong intent behind SASPA/VASPA—to provide accessible, lasting protections for survivors of sexual assault, recognizing that emotional and psychological safety are as vital as physical security.
Hand & Toker Family Law is honored to have defended this important ruling and to continue our mission of protecting and empowering survivors across New Jersey.
Dedicated to protecting what matters most.