Personal protection orders and family violence

If you are in danger now

If you are at immediate risk, call the police on 999. A police report, along with any medical reports, is also useful evidence later.

What counts as family violence

Changes to the Women's Charter that took effect on 2 January 2025 widened the meaning of family violence. It now expressly covers physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional or psychological abuse, such as conduct that torments, intimidates, harasses or distresses a person. The law does not use the term coercive control, but sustained controlling behaviour can fall within it, and withholding money in a way that causes mental harm may count as emotional abuse.

Family members include a spouse or former spouse, children, parents, parents-in-law and certain other relatives. Men and women are protected equally.

Orders the court can make

The Family Court can make several kinds of orders:

• Personal Protection Order: stops the other person from committing family violence against you.
• Expedited Order: interim protection while your main application is waiting to be heard. The court no longer needs the danger to be imminent; it is enough that there is a danger of family violence.
• Domestic Exclusion Order: keeps the other person out of the shared home, or part of it, even if they own or rent it.
• Counselling orders: the court can direct one or both parties, and sometimes the children, to attend counselling.

What you need to show

The court must be satisfied, on a balance of probabilities, that family violence has been committed or is likely to be committed against you, and that an order is necessary for your protection. This is a lower standard than in a criminal case. Helpful evidence includes police reports, medical reports, dated photographs, messages and witness accounts. An order can also be made with the other person's consent.

How to apply

Applications can be made at the Family Justice Courts, at Family Violence Specialist Centres, or online through iFAMS. Both sides are usually given the chance to file statements before a hearing. If the person harming you is not a family member, for example a partner you are not married to, protection may be available under the Protection from Harassment Act instead.

Breaking a protection order is a criminal offence. If it happens, report it to the police straight away. A protection order deals with safety, not money, so if you also need financial support, consider a maintenance application.