Get an injunction if you've been the victim of domestic abuse
Your court hearing
Your hearing will be held in private (sometimes called ‘in chambers’). In most cases only you and the person you’re 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’s 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’ve applied for an injunction against must make an ‘undertaking’ (a promise) to do or not do something
- you must provide more information - the court may issue a short-term order (an ‘interim order’) 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’re applying for an injunction against lives with you. This is called ‘on paper’.
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 ‘served’ 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
Do not serve the documents yourself.
The court will send the order and the statement of service to the officer in charge of your neighbourhood police station 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’s 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’re unhappy with the service they provided.
You may be able to make an appeal about the decision if you think there’s been a serious mistake. You’ll have to get permission to make the appeal and there’s usually a fee. Read the guidance on how to make an appeal.