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If you have concerns for your safety or your children’s safety, your lawyer will work with the courts to put in place orders and measures to protect you. These include:
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A Family Violence Intervention Order
A Family Violence Intervention Order is a court order that will help to protect you, your children and your property from a partner, ex-partner or family member who is violent, threatening you or making you feel unsafe. It puts in place strict conditions that may include:
- not going near you and/or your children’s home, school or workplace
- stopping a behaviour or action
- not contacting or communicating with you and/or your children
- not publishing anything online about you and/or your children
- not enlisting someone else to do something they are not allowed to do under the order.
Measures to protect your safety when attending court
If you are required to attend court as part of your property or parenting proceedings and are concerned for your safety, your lawyer will apply to the court to have measures put in place to protect you. These can include:
- Attending electronically, via phone or video link.
- Separate entry and exit points.
- Providing a safe room for you to use, so that you don’t have to wait in the same waiting area as the other person.
- Closing the court to the public or excluding certain people from the courtroom.
- Providing security guards to keep you safe.
- Allowing you to have a support person with you during the hearing.
- Requiring the other person to watch via video link in a different room or location while you give evidence.
- Shielding the other person from view while you give evidence.
- Requiring the other person to remain in the courtroom while you leave the building.
- Having your lawyer attend court on your behalf, with you on the phone to them during the hearing.
Keeping your address confidential
To ensure your address is kept confidential, our office address will be used in place of yours on all documents filed with the courts. We will also ensure it is redacted from any documents we are required to provide to the other party during proceedings.
Care, compassion, support and advice
If you are experiencing family violence and need legal advice, our all female team of experienced family lawyers are here to help and available for an initial, obligation-free chat. We have extensive experience in this area and approach all matters with understanding, compassion and professionalism.
