Family Lawyer London
It’s an unfortunate fact that not all relationships work out. When most relationships break down, although there may be some resentment between the two parties, it’s unusual for things to turn violent. However, whether as a result of the separation process, or the actual cause of the relationship breakdown, domestic violence does occur; and anyone who is affected by it needs to understand that there are legal steps that can be taken to help them protect themselves and their loved ones.
Domestic Violence is very serious and if you are threatened or have been hurt then you need to contact the police immediately. They will deal with the immediate situation, and will hopefully remove the threat of violence in the short term. Once that has happened you need to contact an experienced Family Law Solicitor. They will walk you through the process of getting a Protection Orders granted, which will help to ensure your longer term safety.
Protection Orders
If you need to ask the court for protection, there are two types of orders they may issue:
- Non-molestation Order – A non-molestation prevents your partner from harassing you or from causing you any physical harm.
- Occupation Order – This order removes your partner from your home and stops them from being able to return.
These orders usually come with the Power of Arrest. This means that if the offending individual ignores the order and continues to act in a threatening way, abuse you or tries to return to your home, they can be arrested and even put in prison.
There are certain criteria which need to be met for either type of order to be granted. The first is that you have to have a legal relationship with the person that will be the subject of the order, so you will have to prove that you are ‘associated’ with them. In many cases you will also need Matrimonial Property Rights over the property that you want to stop the individual returning to. This typically means that you need to be the co-owner of the property, but this doesn’t apply in all cases.
If you are living in an environment where you or your family are being threatened physically, emotionally or mentally, then you need to seek help from a Family Lawyer. London Family Solicitors from our firm can help you to get the legal protection that you need to keep your family safe.