Our Family Law experts have provided some information and answers here to some frequently asked questions regularly raised by our clients about domestic abuse.
What Different Types of injunctions exist?
There are two main types of Family Law injunction, Non-Molestation Orders and also Occupation Orders. A Non-Molestation Order would prevent a person with whom you have been involved from being abusive towards you. An Occupation Order is an injunction which excludes somebody with whom you have been involved from your home and sometimes the immediate area surrounding your home. It is a criminal offence to breach a Non-Molestation or an Occupation Order.
Will I have to attend at court?
Within an application for an injunction there will usually be at least one court hearing. It would be quite unusual for the applicant’s attendance to be excused. At Fosters we understand how distressing it can be to attend court and our experienced advocates will make every effort to ensure that the experience of going to court is as painless and straightforward as possible. Our clients often tell us that the experience of going to court was in fact far less stressful than they had anticipated.
Will I have to speak to the person who has been abusive towards me?
All correspondence, discussions and negotiations will be dealt with through your legal representative at Fosters. It would be highly unusual for an applicant within an injunction to be forced into a position whereby they had to communicate with the same person who is being accused of abusive behaviour (the respondent).