A protection order is a court order that tells someone to stop abusing, threatening, harassing or contacting you. You can apply for one against anyone you are (or were) in a domestic relationship with - like a partner, a family member or someone you live with. 

If your situation is life threatening or urgent, the court will grant an interim protection order immediately. The person you're seeking protection from will then be notified and told to appear in court. A hearing is usually scheduled to decide whether the order should be made final. This could take a few weeks depending on the courts schedule and how quickly the person is served.

Anyone can apply directly at the free of charge, but the paperwork and process can be intimidating, and mistakes may delay getting protection. With LAW FOR ALL, you get legal support to prepare a strong application, and if you're a Platinum+ policyholder, we'll appoint a lawyer to represent you in court.

You can apply for a protection order on behalf of your child, or for someone who can't apply on their own. For example, because of age, disability or fear. The court can also accept application from a social worker, teacher, health professional, or anyone who has a good reasons to apply on the person's behalf. 

While we take domestic violence very sersiously and never condone abuse, we also know every situation has two sides and everyone the right to a fair defence. If someone seeks a protection order against you, the court will usually issue an interim order first and set a date for you to appear to explain why it shouldn't be made a final. Our legal team can help you prepare your response for court and represent you at the hearing if your policy includes cover.