What can it do for me? - Interim FVROs
A Family Violence Restraining Order is one tool that might help keep you safe from family violence.
Before you apply for an FVRO, you should think about whether having an FVRO will actually help improve your safety. There might be other orders in place, or other ways you can get protection from the police or the courts, without making an application for an FVRO yourself.
If you decide that an FVRO is something that will help your safety, you should also think about what conditions, restrictions and exceptions you might want included in the order.
What things does an FVRO normally include?
An FVRO can include restrictions to stop the Respondent:
- having any contact with you
- coming near where you live, work or go to school
- from having firearms or explosives.
The FVRO can be overridden by Family Court orders, and can include exceptions.
An FVRO normally lasts for a fixed time, usually two years, but it can be longer or shorter.
You can read an example of an FVRO that has some of the restrictions and exceptions that can be included.
Asking for your FVRO to help your safety
It is important to think about how the FVRO will help you be safe. If you want, you can ask the court to include restrictions that stop the Respondent having any contact with you at all.
You should ask the court to shape the FVRO to suit your circumstances and your safety plan. For example, you might want different conditions in the FVRO so that:
- you can still have limited contact with the Respondent to talk about arrangements for your kids or to go to court, or
- you can sometimes live with the Respondent, but with restrictions on what the Respondent can do and how they can behave towards you.
If you are unsure what to ask for in your FVRO, it may help for you to get legal advice.