Family violence and family violence intervention orders

What is family violence?

Everyone should feel safe in their relationships. Nobody has the right to hurt, threaten, harass or intimidate you. This includes people in your family, as well as people you treat like family or have had an intimate personal relationship with.

It does not matter where you were born, your age, disability, gender, sexuality, or what kind of relationship or family you are in.

Family violence is when someone makes their ‘family member’ unsafe or feel unsafe. It can start with small things and get worse over time. It does not mean that bad things are happening all the time.

Family violence is sometimes called domestic violence or intimate partner violence.

Types of family violence

Family violence is not just physical abuse such as hitting or pushing a person.

It may include:

• emotional or psychological abuse: this includes serious name calling, putting someone down, or stopping them from seeing family or friends
• sexual abuse: such as forcing a person to have sex or take part in sexual acts
• financial or economic abuse: this includes forcing a family member into marriage, or using technology to track where they go and what they do without their consent.
• controlling behaviour: such as forcing a family member into marriage, or using technology to track where they go and what they do without their consent
• coercive behaviour: such as intimidating, threatening or forcing a person into doing something.

Family violence is also behaviour that makes someone fear for their safety, or the safety of:

• their things or property
• another family member
• a pet.

Children and family violence

Children are badly affected by family violence.

The law says that a child also suffers family violence and should be protected if they:

• hear or see family violence
• comfort or help a family member who has been hurt
• see property in the family home that has been damaged through family violence
• are present when the police arrive for a family violence incident.

Children may be included on a parent's intervention order or have separate order.

The magistrate can also change or suspend a parenting order.

Learn more about Children and family violence intervention orders.

Who is a family member under family violence law?

Under family violence law, ‘family member’ has a special meaning.

Family member can mean:

• people who share an intimate personal relationship (more information below)
• parents and children, including step-children
• relatives by birth, marriage or adoption
• people we treat like a family member – for example, a carer, support worker, guardian or people related within the family structure of our culture.
• family members from a previous relationship – e.g. ex-partners or ex-step children.

An intimate person relationship can be a:

• short-term relationship or a relationship that doesn't involve sex
• relationship that is: married, de facto, between domestic partners, between two partners dating one another.

What can I do If I feel unsafe?

If you are in danger, call 000 immediately.

Whether you think your situation involves family violence or not, you can talk to a family violence or legal service. They can answer your questions and help you understand your options.

You may also wish to talk to people you trust, like a friend, family member, doctor or someone in your community.

The My Safety Tool can you help you understand your options and who to contact.

Family violence safety notice

If you make a report and/or the police believe you need immediate protection, they may apply for a family violence safety notice.

The safety has conditions (rules) the respondent must follow. If they do no follow the conditions, it is serious and the police can arrest them. Learn more about Family violence safety notices.

You can also apply for a family violence intervention order.

What is a family violence intervention order?

A family violence intervention order, 'FVIO' or 'IVO' is an order made by the court. (a decision made by a magistrate or judge). It aims to protect a person, their children, property or pets from someone who has used family violence.

It has conditions that the person using violence must follow. It is a crime if the person using violence breaks these conditions.

Common terms in family violence intervention orders

These are terms that are used to describe different people involved in a family violence intervention order.

This includes the person:

• applying for the order: they are called the applicant. This may be a police officer or someone seeking protection for themself or a child
• who the order will protect: they are called the affected family member when the initial application is made. Once an official order is made, they are then known as the 'protected person’
• accused of family violence: they are known as the respondent.

Types of family violence intervention orders

There are two types of family violence intervention orders:

• Interim order: this a temporary order. The magistrate makes if they believe a person needs protecting immediately. An interim order lasts until a magistrate decides whether to make a final order. While the interim order is in place, the respondent must follow its conditions. If they do not, the police might charge them with a criminal offence.
• Final order: an order made if a magistrate believes the respondent has used family violence and is likely to again. The order will last until the end date set by the magistrate. While the final order is in place, the respondent must follow its conditions. If they do not and it is reported to police, the police might charge them with a criminal offence.

What happens once a final order is made?

If the final order is followed and working, the court may not get involved again. The court will get involved again if someone applies to change, cancel or extend the order.

This can include changes to conditions of the order and how long the order will last.

You can read more about this by visiting these pages:

• When a family violence intervention order starts and ends
• Change, extend or appeal a family violence intervention order.

Does the respondent get a criminal record?

The respondent will not get a criminal record if an order is made. However, it may affect licenses to work in jobs that need security clearance.

Not following the conditions of an intervention order is serious. A respondent can get a criminal record if they are charged and found guilty of breaching their order. For more information read more about 'conditions' on this page.

What are the 'conditions' of a family violence intervention order?

Family violence intervention orders have conditions (rules) that the respondent must follow. These rules are designed to stop them using family violence. Not every order has the same conditions.

A respondent must follow the rules even if the protected person tells them it is okay not to.

If the respondent does not follow the rules, it is very serious and the police cam change them with a criminal offence. Learn more about Breaching a family violence intervention order or safety notice.

How to ask for conditions as part of an order

Applicants and affected family members can ask for certain conditions to help them feel safer, based on their situation. Examples are listed under Conditions on the application form.

At the court hearing, the respondent can also ask the magistrate to change or not include certain conditions. For example, if a condition will make it difficult for them to do their job.

The magistrate will listen to both sides but ultimately decides what conditions to include in an interim or final order. In choosing the conditions, the magistrate will do what they think is safest for the affected family member and children.

Conditions on the application form

There are conditions on the application form that the applicant can ask to be included in the order.

Examples include stopping the respondent from:

• using family violence against the protected person
• living in the same home as the protected person (called an exclusion order)
• intentionally damaging the protected person’s property or threatening to do so
• attempting to find or follow the protected person or keep them under surveillance including electronic tracking
• publishing material about the protected person on the internet, by email or other electronic communication
• contacting or communicating with the protected person, and approaching or remaining within a certain distance of the protected person
• going to or staying within a certain distance of where the protected person lives, works or attends school or childcare
• getting another person to do anything the respondent must not do under the order, including any of the above examples.

You can learn more about Applying for a family violence intervention order.

Other conditions you can ask for

The applicant can ask the magistrate to order the respondent to:

• return personal property of the protected person or a family member
• return jointly owned property that allows the protected person’s everyday life to continue with little disruption
• hand in any guns or weapons to police, and suspend or cancel any firearms authority, weapons approval or weapons exemption
• not be anywhere within a specified distance of thea specified animal or a specified place where a specified animal is kept if an animal is the personal property of the protected person.

The applicant can also tell the registrar (a person who works for the court) if they want to:

• include any other conditions that will make them feel safe
• apply the conditions to someone else the respondent knows.

Exceptions to conditions

The order may include specific circumstances where the respondent is allowed to do something that the conditions say they cannot. This is called an exception.

For example, they might be allowed to communicate with the protected person through a lawyer. Or they may be able to collect their things from the family home if a police officer or another approved person is with them.

The magistrate can make an exception that allows parents to communicate in writing (emails or text messages) for the purpose of child arrangements only.

How can an intervention order protect children?

he magistrate can also change or suspend a parenting order. Learn more about Children and family violence intervention orders.

How can an intervention order protect children?

Children may be included in a parent’s intervention order or have a separate order.

Learn more about Children and family violence intervention orders.

I received a family violence safety notice – what does this mean?

The police can apply for a family violence safety notice if someone needs immediate protection.

The safety notice has conditions (rules) the respondent must follow. If they do not follow the conditions, it is serious and the police can arrest them.

Learn more about Family violence safety notices.

What can apply for a family violence intervention order?

Applying yourself

If you are:

• over 18, you can contact your local Magistrates’ Court to apply or fill in an online application form via the Magistrates' Court of Victoria.
• under 18 or applying for a child under 18, you can apply through the Children’s Court of Victoria.

You can also ask Victoria Police to apply for you.

Learn more about Applying for a family violence intervention order.

If police apply on your behalf

If the police believe family violence has happened they can apply for an intervention order. They can do this even if a family member has not asked for it.

The magistrate will consider whether the person to be protected wants the order but can make one even if they do not agree. When this happens, there are limits on the types of conditions the magistrate can include in the final order.

For more information visit What the police do about family violence.

Whether or not you agree with the police application, it is important to get legal advice.

Can an order be changed or extended?

The applicant, protected person or respondent can ask the court to vary (change) the order if:

• the conditions are very difficult to live with
• there has been a significant change in circumstances since the final order was made.

The respondent must ask the court for permission before applying to change the order.

Learn more about changing an intervention order.

If the order is due to end soon, the applicant or protected person can apply to extend it. They must do this before the order ends.

Learn more about changing, appealing, extending or cancelling an order.

What if I disagree with the magistrate’s decision?

If you are the respondent and are unhappy with the magistrate’s decision or with the conditions of the order, you might be able to appeal to the County Court.

To be able to appeal, you will need to show that the magistrate made an error when deciding your case. You must appeal within 30 days of the magistrate’s decision. Get legal advice first.

Learn more about appealing or changing an intervention order.

Explore publications and resources

• Video: Going to court – how to plan for your day
• How to respond to a family violence intervention order
• Safe at home: how to get a family violence intervention order (English).

Explore our related pages

• Sexual assault
• Sexual harassment
• Family violence scheme
• Applying for a family violence intervention order
• When does an intervention order start and end?
• Family violence safety notices
• If you are a respondent in a family violence intervention order application
• What can happen at an intervention order hearing
• How information and referral officers can help with family violence matters
• Children and family violence intervention orders
• Breaching an intervention order
• Change, extend or appeal a family violence intervention order
• Other support for violence, abuse and personal safety.

Support from other organisations

• Magistrates' Court of Victoria – Family violence intervention orders
• White Ribbon Australia – Helplines: helplines for those experiencing domestic violence and for men who use domestic violence
• Women's Legal Service: legal support and information if you are experiencing family and sexual violence.
• Djirra: Support and legal help for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women experiencing family violence.