There are two ways to get a DVO in the NT.
1. Talk to the police. The police can make a temporary DVO without going to court. Later, they will ask a judge in a court to decide about the final DVO.
2. A person can go to court and ask the Judge to make a DVO. There are rules about how to do this. You can get advice and maybe a lawyer to help you.
- If you cannot wait to go to court and ask a judge for a Domestic Violence Order (DVO), talk to the police.
- The police can make a temporary domestic violence order (DVO) without asking a judge. Police can make a temporary DVO very quickly. Later, police will come to the court.
- In court, a judge will decide about the DVO. The judge might cancel the DVO, change some of the rules in the DVO or keep the DVO the same.
- If you want to talk to the judge about the DVO or the rules in the DVO, go to court on the day when police ask the judge to decide about the DVO. Ask police which day to go to court.
- You can ask (apply) for a DVO at the Local Court. First you will need to fill out the form and give it to the court office.
- They may tell you another date to come back to court to talk to the judge.
- When you go into the courtroom, you can tell the judge why you want a DVO and what rules you want in the DVO. You can get a lawyer to help you.
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Who Can Help? (Service Providers)
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| How do domestic violence orders get made? |
| Applying for a DVO – 1800 Respect
This webpage talks about applying for domestic violence orders in the NT |
| Domestic Violence Orders – NT.GOV.AU
This webpage explains domestic violence orders and how to apply for them. |
| Domestic Violence Orders – Information for People in need of Protection
This factsheet has information for people who need protection from domestic violence. |
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A lawyer can help
This video explains what a domestic violence order (DVO) is, how it can help you, and how a lawyer can help you sort things out.
Glossary: What these words mean
| temporary domestic violence order (DVO) | If the police think someone isn’t safe they can make a temporary (also called interim) domestic violence order (DVO). For example, the police might make a temporary DVO when someone calls them because there is violence. A temporary DVO only lasts until it is talked about again in court. A judge can also make a temporary DVO. See also Domestic Violence Order (DVO). |
| domestic violence order (DVO) | A domestic violence order (DVO) is a law-paper from the police or a judge. A DVO has rules to protect people from domestic violence. A DVO can make rules about what a person can do. For example, a no-contact DVO means no going near, calling, texting, or contacting the person protected by the order. A non-intoxication order means no alcohol or drugs. If someone breaks the rules of a DVO they are doing a crime. When the police make the DVO it only lasts until a judge talks about it in court. The judge decides if the DVO keeps going and what rules it has. |