Your Legal Rights

In this section you will find practical legal information which will explain the help and support available to you.

If you are frightened of your current or former partner, then you have a right to be protected under the law.

• You have rights under the criminal law. Being assaulted by someone you know or live with is just as much a crime as violence from a stranger, and often more dangerous. Police can arrest and charge and they have a duty to investigate. As well as contacting the Police, you may also use the Civil Law to get protection.

• You can apply for a civil court order to tell your abuser to stop harassing or hurting you, or to keep out of or away from your home. See getting an injunction for information on these options.
  

• The law can also help to protect children. You can apply to the Family Courts for an order specifying where and with whom the children should live, and regulating contact with the other parent.

For more information please see the domestic violence survivor’s handbook written by Women’s Aid.