Help with Protection Orders in Family Court
If you need protection, understanding your options clearly and acting quickly matters.
Non-molestation orders and occupation orders are injunctive remedies available under Part IV of the Family Law Act 1996. They can be applied for urgently (often on the same day) in serious cases. Bridge The Gap explains the process and connects you with McKenzie Friends who have experience in protective order proceedings.
The Gaps
Family court is full of things nobody warns you about.
We call them Gaps — the difference between what people believe about family court and what actually happens. Reading them before your hearing could change everything.
Non-molestation orders
A non-molestation order prohibits someone from molesting, harassing, threatening, or communicating with you or your children. It can be applied for urgently — often without notifying the respondent first (known as a without-notice or ex-parte application). Breach of a non-molestation order is a criminal offence.
Occupation orders
An occupation order regulates who can live in, enter, or occupy the family home. It can require someone to leave the property or restrict when and how they can access it. Occupation orders are often sought alongside non-molestation orders where there has been domestic abuse.
When an order has been breached
Breach of a non-molestation order is a criminal offence and should be reported to the police. Breach of other family court orders (such as child arrangements orders) can be enforced through the family court using Form C79 or contempt proceedings. Act promptly — courts take breaches seriously.
Did you know?
Most people go into family court believing things that simply aren't true.
The Gaps are short, honest explanations of the most common family court misconceptions — written in plain English, not legal jargon. Each one covers what people believe, why that belief exists, and what the court reality actually is.
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