News

News Flash 'New Guidance on Domestic Violence Injunctions issued by the Government’

On 3 April 2020, the government issued the guidance ‘Applying for a domestic violence (Family Law Act) injunction for unrepresented applicants’. Below is a 6 step process from the Legal aid Handbook.

These are the steps:

  1. Fill in an application form to apply for a Family Law Act injunction.
  2. You will also need to provide a signed witness statement with your name and date, and include a statement of truth.
  3. If you don’t want the respondent to know your contact details, you must also fill in form C8 and the court must have contact details for both you and the respondent in order to set up a telephone or video hearing.
  4. Please check whether your local family court is open. If your local court is currently closed, contact the nearest open or staffed court. Telephone and email contact details can be found on court and tribunal finder by entering your post code.
  5. The court will contact you with hearing arrangements, by email if you have an email address.
  6. Most injunction hearings will take place by telephone. Court staff will arrange a telephone conference and notify you and the respondent, unless the hearing is without notice to the respondent. In some circumstances, the judge may make an order on paper without a hearing. If you are unable to make a telephone or video hearing, for example, because the respondent is in the same property, include this information in your email to the court.
  7. The court will also arrange for the injunction application and any order made to be delivered to the respondent.

For the full article as published in the legal aid handbook news forum please click the attached link https://legalaidhandbook.com/2020/04/06/new-guidance-on-domestic-violence-injunctions/