Domestic violence is behaviour by a person — which is or threatens physically, sexually, emotionally, economically or psychologically abusive or which otherwise controls or dominates a person.

For example, domestic violence includes the following behaviour:

  • Causing personal injury to a person or threatening to do so;
  • Coercing a person to engage in sexual activity or attempting to do so;
  • Damaging a person’s property or threatening to do so;
  • Depriving a person of the person’s liberty or threatening to do so;
  • Threatening a person with the death or injury of the person, a child of the person, or someone else;
  • Threatening to commit suicide or self-harm so as to torment, intimidate or frighten the person to whom the behaviour is directed;
  • Causing or threatening to cause the death of, or injury to, an animal, whether or not the animal belongs to the person to whom the behaviour is directed, so as to control, dominate or coerce the person;
  • Unauthorised surveillance of a person;
  • Unlawfully stalking a person;
  • Continually texting or emailing a person who has indicated they do not wish to communicate with you.

To Apply For a Protection Order

To apply for a protection order you must be in or have been in a relevant relationship, that is:

  • An intimate personal relationship; or
  • A family relationship; or
  • An informal care relationship.

You can make an application for a protection order in your local Magistrates Court.

We can assist you to apply for a Protection Order or to apply to revoke or vary an existing Order. We can also assist you to defend these applications.

Some useful contact points for domestic violence issues are:

For more information contact us to speak with one of McPhee Lawyers experienced family lawyers.