QADAMLONDON

If you are in danger right now

999Can't talk — call and press 55
0808 2000 247Domestic abuse helpline, 24/7, interpreters available
116 123Samaritans, if things are hard and there is no one to talk to

Protection: orders, police, a lawyer

A British court can ban a person from coming near you and decide who lives in the home. There is no fee for this.

Orders

  • Non-molestation order — bans them from coming near you, threatening you or harassing you. Breaching it is a criminal offence, up to 5 years.
  • Occupation order — who lives in the home.
  • Both are made through the family court, with no fee. In urgent cases they're made without notifying the other party.
  • DAPN / DAPO — new orders, broader in scope. They only apply in pilot areas: Croydon, Sutton, Bromley, Greater Manchester, Cleveland and six counties in North Wales. It would be wrong to say “available across England”.

Police

  • 999; if you can't speak, listen to the operator and press 55 (works on mobiles).
  • Clare's Law — find out whether your partner has a history of abuse. Takes up to 28 days.

Who is by your side through the process

  • IDVA — your own independent domestic violence adviser who supports you through it.
  • MARAC — a meeting of services for high-risk cases; the woman doesn't attend, her IDVA represents her.

Free lawyer

Legal aid for family cases is granted when you have one of the accepted forms of evidence of abuse. The list includes, among others: a letter from an IDVA, a letter from MARAC, a letter from a refuge saying no place was available, a letter from a victim support organisation, a letter from a doctor, an MVDAC grant.

Rights of Women — free helplines for women: family law 020 7251 6577, immigration and asylum 020 7490 7689.

Forced marriage and “honour”-based abuse

Forced marriage is illegal in England and Wales, up to 7 years. The law also covers taking a person abroad to force them into marriage. A Forced Marriage Protection Order is made by a court, including as an emergency; breaching it carries up to 5 years.

Forced Marriage Unit: 020 7008 0151, out of hours 020 7008 5000, fmu@fcdo.gov.uk. Karma Nirvana: 0800 5999 247.