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You can apply for an 鈥榠njunction鈥� if you鈥檝e been the victim of domestic abuse. An injunction is a court order that either:

• protects you or your child from being harmed or threatened by the person who鈥檚 abused you - this is called a 鈥榥on-molestation order鈥�
• decides who can live in the family home or enter the surrounding area - this is called an 鈥榦ccupation order鈥�

Before you apply, check if you鈥檙e eligible for a non-molestation order or an occupation order.

The person named in the injunction can be arrested if they break it.

There鈥檚 no fee when you apply, but you can choose to pay for legal advice to help you. Check if you can get legal aid, which can help to pay for legal advice.

You can also get advice on applying for an injunction from a charity, for example , , or the .

Apply online

You can use the RCJ Citizens Advice CourtNav service to .

You鈥檒l need to:

• create an online account
• explain what happened to you
• include the name and address of the person who鈥檚 abused you

As part of your application, you can choose a law firm to review it.

If you鈥檙e unable to get legal aid or pay for legal advice, your application can be sent back to a legal adviser at RCJ Citizens Advice to check for free.

The legal adviser will tell you if you need to make a court application and how to submit one.

Apply by email, post or in person

1. Download and fill in the application form.

2. Write a supporting statement that explains what happened to you. You can either use the template included with the application form, or you can write your own. If you write your own, follow the guidance below under 鈥業f you write your own supporting statement without the template鈥�.

3. Download and fill in form C8 if you want to keep your address and telephone number private.

4. Email, post or hand in the documents to a . If you fill in your application form and supporting statement by hand, you may need to submit multiple copies of each. Check the last page of the application form to see how many copies you need.

If you write your own supporting statement without the template

You must include a 鈥榮tatement of truth鈥� at the bottom of your supporting statement. Use the following words:

鈥淚 understand that proceedings for contempt of court may be brought against anyone who makes, or causes to be made, a false statement in a document verified by a statement of truth without an honest belief in its truth. I believe that the facts stated in this form and any continuation sheets are true.鈥�

You must sign and date your statement of truth.

Emergency orders

If you need protection immediately, ask for an emergency order when you apply. You do not have to tell the person you want protection from that you鈥檙e applying so it鈥檚 known as a 鈥榳ithout notice鈥� or 鈥榚x-parte鈥� application.

The court will hold a hearing which you must attend. It may issue an order at the hearing.

You鈥檒l still have to tell that person about your application after the order has been issued.

An emergency order will usually last until your hearing.

If you鈥檙e 17 or under

If you鈥檙e under 16 you鈥檒l need permission to apply from .

If you鈥檙e 16 or 17 you鈥檒l need to appoint a 鈥�litigation friend鈥� to represent you in court 鈥� this is usually a parent, family member or close friend.

After you鈥檝e applied

After you鈥檝e applied you must arrange for the person you鈥檙e applying to get an injunction against to be told about your application.

You can usually apply if you鈥檙e a victim of domestic abuse and the person you want to be protected from (鈥榯he respondent鈥�) is:

• someone you鈥檙e having or have had a relationship with
• a family member
• someone you鈥檙e living or have lived with

Check the following lists to make sure you can apply.

Husband, wife, civil partner or other relationship

You can apply if you鈥檙e a victim of domestic abuse and the respondent is your:

• husband, wife or civil partner
• former husband, former wife or former civil partner
• fianc茅, fianc茅e or proposed civil partner
• former fianc茅, former fianc茅e or former proposed civil partner 鈥� if your engagement or agreement to form a civil partnership ended less than 3 years ago
• boyfriend, girlfriend, partner or a person you鈥檙e in or have been in a relationship with for more than 6 months

Family member

You can apply if the respondent is a close family member, for example a parent, brother, sister, aunt or uncle.

People who have parental responsibility for your child or grandchild

You can apply if you have a child or grandchild and the respondent is the child鈥檚 parent or person you share parental responsibility with.

If your child (or grandchild) has been adopted, you can also apply to get an injunction against their:

• adoptive parent
• anyone who has applied to adopt them
• anyone the child has been placed with for adoption

You can also apply for an order against the child or grandchild if they鈥檝e been adopted.

You can apply for an occupation order if you鈥檙e a victim of domestic abuse and meet the requirements. The order will say who can live in the family home or enter the surrounding area.

You can apply if:

• you own or rent the home and it is, was, or was intended to be shared with a husband or wife, civil partner, cohabitant, family member, person you鈥檙e engaged to or parent of your child
• you do not own or rent the home but you鈥檙e married or in a civil partnership with the owner and you鈥檙e living in the home (known as 鈥榤atrimonial home rights鈥�)
• your former husband, wife or civil partner is the owner or tenant, and the home is, was, or was intended to be your shared matrimonial home
• the person you cohabit or cohabited with is the owner or tenant, and the home is, was, or was intended to be your shared home

You鈥檒l be given a document called a 鈥楴otice of Proceedings鈥� by the court. This tells you when your court hearing will take place.

Telling people about your application

The court will send you back a sealed copy of your application. You must arrange for the sealed copy and your witness statement to be 鈥榮erved鈥� on the person named in the application. This means making sure they get a copy of the documents in person.

Your solicitor will do this if you have one. Or you can ask the court to serve the documents for free by filling in form D89.

Your hearing will be held in private (sometimes called 鈥榠n chambers鈥�). In most cases only you and the person you鈥檙e applying for an injunction against, and any legal representatives, can attend.

Read about what to expect when you go to a court hearing.

Get support or extra protection at a hearing

You may be able to have your hearing over a video or phone call if you need extra protection or it鈥檚 hard for you to come to court. You can request this when you apply.

The court will provide an interpreter if you asked for one when you applied for the injunction. They can translate what happens during the hearing but they cannot represent you or give you legal advice.

Contact the court before the hearing if you need support or extra protection.

Apply to not speak to the other party

You can apply to not speak to or be questioned by the other party at a hearing.

If you are making an abuse accusation apply to not speak directly to the person you are accusing at a hearing.

If you are being accused of abuse apply to not speaking directly to the person making the accusation at a hearing.

Get a decision

At the end of the hearing the court will make one of the following decisions:

• the person you鈥檝e applied for an injunction against must make an 鈥榰ndertaking鈥� (a promise) to do or not do something
• you must provide more information - the court may issue a short-term order (an 鈥榠nterim order鈥�) to protect you while you get this information
• it will issue an order

The judge may make a decision without a hearing if the person you鈥檙e applying for an injunction against lives with you. This is called 鈥榦n paper鈥�.

If the court issues an order

You will get a copy of the order which will say:

• what the respondent can and cannot do
• how long the order lasts for

You must arrange for the order to be 鈥榮erved鈥� on the respondent. This means making sure they get a copy of the order in person.

If you have a solicitor, they will arrange for the documents to be served. If you do not have a solicitor you can:

• ask the court to serve the documents by filling in form D89 - you will not need to pay for this
• hire a professional process server to serve the documents

The court will send the order and the statement of service to the officer in charge of your or the police station named in the court order.

If the person named in your injunction does not follow the court order, you can call the police.

If your injunction is ending and you still need protection

You can apply to extend an existing injunction if it鈥檚 close to ending and you still need protection.

If your injunction has ended, you can apply for a new injunction.

Complaints and appeals

You can complain to the court where you had the hearing if you鈥檙e unhappy with the service they provided.

You may be able to make an appeal about the decision if you think there鈥檚 been a serious mistake. You鈥檒l have to get permission to make the appeal and there鈥檚 usually a fee. Read the guidance on how to make an appeal.

You can apply to extend an existing injunction if you still need protection. You must apply for an extension before your injunction ends.

How to apply for an extension

Download form FL403 and fill it in.

Email, post or hand in the form to the court you got your injunction from.

Get help with your application

If you need help applying for an extension you can contact:

• the court you got your injunction from

After you apply

The court will usually hold another hearing within 3 weeks of receiving your application to consider your extension.

You鈥檒l get the decision at the court hearing or by email or post if you do not attend.