Victoria

Family violence intervention orders in Victoria

A plain-English guide to family violence intervention orders (FVIOs) in Victoria — applying online or at court, family violence safety notices issued by police, what happens at a mention and a contested hearing, and what a breach means.

Checked against official sources on 8 Nov 2026. General information, not legal advice. No lawyer or solicitor has reviewed this page.

If you are in danger right now, call 000.

For free, confidential support 24 hours a day, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.

Overview

If you are in immediate danger, call triple zero (000). Safe Steps is Victoria's 24-hour family violence response line on 1800 015 188, and 1800RESPECT is available nationally on 1800 737 732. What follows is general information about Victorian law, not legal advice about your circumstances.

In Victoria a protection order is called an intervention order. Where the people involved are family members, the order is a family violence intervention order (FVIO) made under the Family Violence Protection Act 2008 (Vic). Where they are not family — a neighbour, a co-worker, a stranger — the equivalent is a personal safety intervention order under the Personal Safety Intervention Orders Act 2010 (Vic). Family member is defined broadly and includes current and former partners, relatives, people who have been treated like family, and a child of a person in an intimate relationship. Family violence is defined broadly too: it covers physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and economic abuse, threats, and coercive or controlling behaviour, and since 26 April 2026 the Act also expressly names stalking, misusing systems and services to control a family member (for example making malicious reports to police or child protection), and mistreating, selling, rehoming or surrendering an animal to control someone, alongside harming or threatening an animal.

Intervention orders are civil orders made by the Magistrates' Court of Victoria, or by the Children's Court where the affected family member or the respondent is under 18. Having an order made against you does not give you a criminal record. Breaching an intervention order or a family violence safety notice is, however, a criminal offence with a maximum penalty of two years' imprisonment, a fine of 240 penalty units, or both, and persistently breaching one carries up to five years' imprisonment, 600 penalty units, or both. Victoria also has Specialist Family Violence Courts at 13 Magistrates' Court locations, which can hear intervention orders alongside bail applications, criminal pleas, family law parenting matters and related victims of crime applications.

Who this is for

You are being abused by a partner, former partner or family member anywhere in Victoria
Police attended and issued a family violence safety notice against the other person
You want to apply online for an FVIO without going to a court building
You have been served with an intervention order application and have a court date
The respondent keeps contacting you despite an interim order being in place
You need to change conditions so you can arrange handovers for the children
Your order is about to expire and you want it extended
You have moved to Victoria with an order made in another state or territory

LegislationShow

Family Violence Protection Act 2008 (Vic) (VIC)
The main Act. It defines family violence and family member, allows police to issue family violence safety notices, sets out when the Magistrates' Court can make interim and final family violence intervention orders, provides for counselling orders requiring an adult respondent to be assessed for and attend approved counselling, and creates the offences of contravening a notice or order and persistent contravention. It was amended by the Justice Legislation Amendment (Family Violence, Stalking and Other Matters) Act 2026, with a final stage of changes to order length, child respondents and misidentification starting no later than 10 November 2026.
Personal Safety Intervention Orders Act 2010 (Vic) (VIC)
Covers protection from violence, stalking, harassment and property damage where the people involved are not family members — for example neighbours, co-workers or acquaintances.
Crimes Act 1958 (Vic) (VIC)
Contains the criminal offences often charged alongside an intervention order application, including assault, threats to kill or inflict serious injury, stalking, non-fatal strangulation and property damage. A separate offence of coercive control was passed in September 2026 by the Justice Legislation Amendment (Family Violence, Coercive Control, Good Character, Risk Assessment and Other Matters) Act 2026; it is not yet in force and must start no later than 1 March 2028.
Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) (CTH)
Governs parenting and property matters after separation. Sections 68P to 68R deal with how family violence orders and parenting orders interact. Under section 68R the Magistrates' Court, when making or varying an FVIO, can revive, vary, discharge or suspend a parenting order to the extent it lets a child spend time with a person, but it cannot discharge one when making only an interim order.

Courts and tribunalsShow

Magistrates' Court of Victoria
Hears most family violence intervention order applications in Victoria, makes interim and final orders, hears applications to extend, vary or revoke orders, and deals with contravention charges. Applications lodged online can be heard at any court location.
Specialist Family Violence Courts
Sit at 13 Magistrates' Court locations: Ballarat, Bendigo, Broadmeadows, Dandenong, Frankston, Heidelberg, Geelong, La Trobe, Melbourne, Moorabbin, Ringwood, Shepparton and Sunshine. Magistrates, registrars and applicant and respondent practitioners are trained in family violence. They can hear intervention orders alongside bail, criminal pleas, family law parenting matters and related victims of crime applications, and they make counselling orders. Some have separate entrances, safe waiting areas and remote witness facilities.
Children's Court of Victoria
Hears intervention order applications where the affected family member or the respondent is under 18, or where a child protection case raising the same concerns is before it.
Victoria Police
Responds to family violence incidents, can issue a family violence safety notice on the spot (approved by a sergeant or more senior officer), applies for intervention orders on behalf of affected family members even if they have not asked, serves orders and investigates breaches.

ProcessShow

01Get support and decide how to apply
Contact Safe Steps, The Orange Door or a family violence service for safety planning. Police can apply for you after an incident, or you can apply yourself through the Magistrates' Court's online FVIO application (which can be heard at any court location), by completing the paper application form, or at your local Magistrates' Court. If you are under 18 and want to apply yourself, go through the Children's Court. After you lodge, a family violence registrar contacts you about the next steps.
Typical timeframe: A registrar contacts you after you lodge
02Family violence safety notice
When police attend a family violence incident and believe protection is needed until a court can decide, the attending officer can ask a sergeant or more senior officer to issue a family violence safety notice. It is only available where the respondent appears to be an adult. It takes effect when served, can exclude the respondent from the home, and acts as an application for an intervention order and a summons to court. The first court date must be within 14 days of service, or as soon as practicable if the respondent has been excluded from home and may have nowhere to stay.
Typical timeframe: Court date within 14 days of service
03Interim intervention order
A magistrate can make an interim order at any time before the final hearing, including on the first day and sometimes without the respondent present, if satisfied it is necessary to protect the affected family member, their children or their property.
Typical timeframe: Can be made or extended at any hearing before the final hearing
04Service on the respondent
Police serve the application and any interim order, or court staff give the order to a respondent who is at court. The order starts once the respondent has it, so a respondent must comply immediately even if they intend to oppose it. Police should tell the protected person when the order has been served.
Typical timeframe: Check with police or the court a day or two after the order is made
05First mention
The respondent tells the court whether they consent to a final order (which can be without admitting the allegations), need an adjournment to get legal help, or want to contest. Both sides should complete the court's Pre-Court Information form at least seven days before the hearing. Plan to be at court all day, or ask the court about attending online. Applicant and respondent practitioners are available at Specialist Family Violence Courts.
Typical timeframe: Date set by the court; within 14 days for a safety notice
06Directions and contested hearing
If the respondent contests, the court holds a directions hearing to prepare the case and later a final (contested) hearing where both sides give evidence and can be cross-examined. A respondent cannot personally cross-examine the affected family member, a child or another family member (unless an adult witness agrees and the court allows it), so if they have no lawyer the court must order Victoria Legal Aid to offer one for that purpose. An applicant without a lawyer, where police are not the applicant, can also be given a free Victoria Legal Aid lawyer for cross-examination. The magistrate can make or extend an interim order in the meantime.
Typical timeframe: Varies; the final hearing date is set once both sides are ready
07Final order, counselling order and review
The final order states how long it lasts. A final order made without an end date before the 2026 changes start lasts until the court revokes it. For final orders made once those changes start (no later than 10 November 2026), the default for an adult respondent is usually 24 months unless the court sets a different period, which can be indefinite; an order against a child respondent must state a period of no more than 12 months unless there are exceptional circumstances. At a Specialist Family Violence Court the magistrate may also order an adult respondent to attend an eligibility assessment and then approved counselling. The applicant or protected person can later apply to vary, extend or revoke the order; a respondent needs the court's permission (leave) to apply to vary or revoke it. A party can appeal against a final decision, usually to the County Court, within 30 days; there is no appeal against an interim order.
Typical timeframe: Set by the court; 24-month default for adult respondents from no later than 10 November 2026

Parties

Affected family member
The person the order is intended to protect. Children can be named as protected persons on the same order.
Applicant
The person or police officer who makes the application. This may be the affected family member, a police officer, a parent or guardian applying for a child, another person with the written consent of the affected family member (or of a child's parent), or in some cases a person with the court's leave, including a child aged 14 or older.
Respondent
The person the order is sought against, who is bound by any safety notice or interim order once it is served or explained to them. From no later than 10 November 2026 an application cannot be made against a child under 12.
Protected children
Children who have heard, seen or otherwise been exposed to the family violence. Children affected by family violence must be included on the order or protected by a separate order.
Applicant practitioner
A family violence practitioner who works for the court at Specialist Family Violence Courts and gives affected family members non-legal information and support, risk assessment, safety planning and referrals.
Respondent practitioner
A practitioner at Specialist Family Violence Courts who gives respondents non-legal information and support, and refers them to behaviour change and other services.

Time limits

These are general time limits described in prose. This page does not calculate a deadline for your matter.

Duration of a final FVIO
Set by the magistrate. A final order made without an end date before the 2026 changes start lasts until the court revokes it. For final orders made once the changes start (no later than 10 November 2026), the default for an adult respondent is 24 months unless the court sets a different period, which can be indefinite. If the respondent is in prison for a family violence offence against the protected person with more than 12 months of the sentence left, the default instead ends 12 months after the sentence ends. An order against a child respondent must not exceed 12 months unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Source: Family Violence Protection Act 2008 (Vic) ss 97-99 (authorised version 070, 30 September 2026); Justice Legislation Amendment (Family Violence, Stalking and Other Matters) Act 2026 (Vic) ss 2(3)-(4), 30 (new ss 96B-96C), 31-33, 59 and 66 (new s 242)
Family violence safety notice
Starts when served on the respondent. The first court date must be no later than 14 days after service, or as soon as practicable if the respondent is excluded from home and may have nowhere to stay. The notice ends on the first court date if the court adjourns or refuses the application, or when any order made that day is served.
Source: Family Violence Protection Act 2008 (Vic) ss 30, 31(3)
Contravening an FVIO or safety notice
Maximum penalty of two years' imprisonment, 240 penalty units, or both. One penalty unit is $209.10 from 1 July 2026, so 240 units is $50,184.
Source: Family Violence Protection Act 2008 (Vic) ss 37, 123; Magistrates' Court of Victoria court fees and costs ready reckoner (penalty unit value from 1 July 2026)
Persistent contravention
A separate offence where a person breaches a notice or order and has done so on at least two other occasions in the previous 28 days. Maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment, 600 penalty units ($125,460 from 1 July 2026), or both.
Source: Family Violence Protection Act 2008 (Vic) s 125A
Interstate orders in Victoria
Domestic violence orders made anywhere in Australia from 25 November 2017, including interim, final and police-issued orders, are automatically recognised and enforceable in Victoria without registration. Older orders must be declared at a Magistrates' Court to be recognised.
Source: Magistrates' Court of Victoria — interstate intervention orders (National Domestic Violence Order Scheme)
Applying to extend a final order
Apply before the order ends: the court says at least four weeks before it is due to expire, and Victoria Legal Aid suggests ideally eight weeks. No-one will remind you when the order is ending.
Source: Magistrates' Court of Victoria — changing an intervention order; Victoria Legal Aid — when a family violence intervention order starts and ends
Appealing a magistrate's decision
File a notice of appeal within 30 days after the decision. Appeals from the Magistrates' Court usually go to the County Court. There is no appeal against an interim order or a refusal to make one.
Source: Family Violence Protection Act 2008 (Vic) ss 114(2)(c), 115, 116(2)(c)

Costs and helpShow

Family violence intervention order proceedings are exempt from Magistrates' Court fees, so there is no fee to apply, and if police apply on your behalf they run the case at no cost to you. Applications can be made online, which saves travel to a court building. Legal costs are the main expense if a matter is contested. Victoria Legal Aid has duty lawyers at some courts on hearing days, and can grant legal assistance for some directions and contested hearings under its guidelines. At a contested hearing the court can order Victoria Legal Aid to provide a lawyer for cross-examination, and that lawyer is free even if you are not eligible for other legal aid. Community legal centres, Women's Legal Service Victoria and Djirra provide free legal help, and applicant and respondent practitioners at Specialist Family Violence Courts work for the court and do not charge. Each party bears their own costs unless the court finds exceptional circumstances or that an application was vexatious, frivolous or made in bad faith.

Victoria Legal Aid

Free legal information about intervention orders for affected family members and respondents, duty lawyers at some courts, free lawyers for cross-examination at contested hearings, and grants of legal assistance for some hearings under its guidelines.

Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre
Victoria's 24/7 family violence crisis service on 1800 015 188, providing risk assessment, safety planning and crisis accommodation for people at risk.
The Orange Door
Free help, with no referral needed, for people experiencing family violence, families who need support with children's care and wellbeing, and people using family violence who want to change.
Djirra
A service designed by and for Aboriginal women, offering free legal help, court representation and non-legal support to Aboriginal women and their children in Victoria, particularly those experiencing family violence.
No to Violence Men's Referral Service
The Men's Referral Service on 1300 766 491 is a national counselling, information and referral service for men who use violence and want to change.

Where to get help

Safe Steps
Victoria's 24/7 family violence crisis service on 1800 015 188, for crisis support, risk assessment, safety planning and crisis accommodation.
1800RESPECT
National domestic, family and sexual violence counselling and support on 1800 737 732, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Victoria Legal Aid
Free legal information and duty lawyers at some courts for people affected by family violence and for respondents.
Magistrates' Court of Victoria — apply for an FVIO
Step-by-step guidance and the online application for family violence intervention orders.
The Orange Door
Free family violence and family services support with no referral needed, including help for people who want to change their use of violence.
Djirra
Free legal help, court representation and non-legal support for Aboriginal women and their children in Victoria experiencing family violence.
No to Violence Men's Referral Service
The Men's Referral Service on 1300 766 491 offers counselling, information and referral for men who use violence and want to change.
Women's Legal Service Victoria
Free legal information and help for women and non-binary people across Victoria on 1800 133 302.

Practical guidanceShow

How do you apply for a family violence intervention order in Victoria?

You have three options. The simplest is the Magistrates' Court's online FVIO application, which you can complete from a safe place without going to court; online applications can be heard at any court location. If it is not safe to apply online, call the court to talk through your options. You can also complete the paper application form, or go to your local Magistrates' Court and apply in person. If police have already responded to an incident they will usually apply on your behalf, and in that case you do not file anything yourself. If you are under 18 and want to apply yourself, the application goes through the Children's Court. The form asks about the respondent, how they have behaved and why you think it might happen again, the names and birth dates of children and other family members who need protecting, and the conditions you want. Be specific: dates, what was said, whether there were injuries, and any police reports or hospital visits. Once the court receives your application, a family violence registrar will call you to explain the next steps. If you are worried about the respondent finding out where you live, raise it with the registrar or police before any paperwork is served.

What is a family violence safety notice and how long does it last?

A family violence safety notice is an emergency notice issued by Victoria Police when officers attend a family violence incident and believe protection is needed until a magistrate can deal with the matter. It can be issued at any time of day. The officer at the scene applies to a sergeant or more senior officer, who decides whether to issue it, and it can only be used where the respondent appears to be an adult. It contains conditions similar to an intervention order and can require the respondent to leave the family home. It takes effect once it is served on the respondent, and breaching it is a criminal offence in the same way as breaching an intervention order. The notice also operates as an application for a family violence intervention order and a summons, so the matter goes before the Magistrates' Court. The first court date must be no later than 14 days after the notice is served, and sooner if the respondent has been excluded from home and may have nowhere to stay. If you are the affected family member, use the time before the court date to get support and legal help. If you are the respondent, comply with every condition, arrange somewhere else to stay, and see a duty lawyer before the hearing.

What conditions can a Victorian intervention order include?

The application form lists conditions you can ask for. Common ones stop the respondent from committing family violence against the protected person, damaging their property (including jointly owned property and pets), trying to locate, follow or watch them, publishing material about them online, contacting or communicating with them by any means, going within a set distance of them or of where they live, work or go to school, or getting another person to do any of these things. Since 26 April 2026 a condition can also stop the respondent using an animal to commit family violence. An exclusion condition can require the respondent to leave and stay away from the family home, and the court can order the return of personal property or jointly owned property needed for everyday life, and suspend or cancel a firearms licence. Orders often include exceptions, such as contact through a lawyer or written messages between parents about child arrangements. The magistrate decides the final conditions, giving paramount consideration to the safety of the affected family member and any children. Ask for conditions that match how you actually live (school pick-ups, shared workplaces, sporting clubs), because vague conditions are hard to enforce and unworkable ones can lead to accidental breaches.

What happens if a family violence intervention order is breached?

Report it to police straight away and ask for the incident number. Contravening an intervention order or a family violence safety notice is a criminal offence in Victoria with a maximum penalty of two years' imprisonment, a fine of 240 penalty units, or both (one penalty unit is $209.10 from 1 July 2026). Persistent contravention, meaning a breach when there have been at least two other breaches in the previous 28 days, is a separate offence carrying up to five years' imprisonment. Breaching a counselling order can also be charged. Police investigate under their Code of Practice for the Investigation of Family Violence and, if satisfied there is enough evidence, charge the respondent, who then has a criminal case in the Magistrates' Court and, if found guilty, a criminal record. Keep the evidence: screenshots showing the sender and time, voicemails, photographs, and a diary noting what happened, which condition was broken, the date and time, and any witnesses. If keeping records could make you less safe, talk to a support service first. You cannot give permission for a breach: if the order says no contact, the respondent commits an offence by contacting you even if you said it was okay. If contact is genuinely needed, apply to vary the order instead.

What is a counselling order and when is one made?

A counselling order is made by a magistrate at a Specialist Family Violence Court after a final family violence intervention order is made against an adult respondent. The respondent is first ordered to attend an eligibility assessment interview with a family violence practitioner, usually on the same day as the hearing. If the respondent is assessed as eligible, the magistrate can order them to attend an approved counselling program with a provider such as Family Life, Anglicare Victoria or Child and Family Services, depending on the court. According to the court, a respondent needs to be able to communicate in English to be eligible. The aim is to support the respondent to take responsibility for their behaviour and change it, not only to restrain it. Failing to attend the assessment or the counselling without a reasonable excuse is a criminal offence with a maximum fine of 10 penalty units. The counselling provider can also offer optional support to the main affected family member while the respondent attends, and the respondent is not told whether they accept it. Anyone who wants to change their use of violence can contact the Men's Referral Service or The Orange Door, whether or not a court has ordered counselling.

How do intervention orders work with parenting orders and interstate orders?

Tell the magistrate immediately if there are parenting orders, a parenting plan or a family law case running. Magistrates can include an exception allowing written contact between parents about child arrangements. Under section 68R of the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth), the Magistrates' Court making or varying an intervention order can also revive, vary, discharge or suspend a parenting order to the extent it lets a child spend time with someone, so the respondent may not be able to spend time with the children under the parenting order until the intervention order changes. It cannot discharge a parenting order when making only an interim order. If a parenting order made later conflicts with an existing intervention order, the intervention order is invalid to the extent of the inconsistency (section 68Q). On interstate orders, the Magistrates' Court of Victoria confirms that a domestic violence order made anywhere in Australia from 25 November 2017 is automatically recognised in Victoria: you do not have to register it. Victorian orders are likewise recognised everywhere else in Australia. For an interstate order made before 25 November 2017, take a copy to any Magistrates' Court in Victoria and ask for it to be declared. New Zealand orders can be registered at any Magistrates' Court in Victoria.

What changed in Victorian family violence law in 2026?

Several changes affect intervention orders. Since 26 April 2026 the definition of family violence expressly includes stalking, misusing systems, processes and services to control a family member (for example malicious reports to police or child protection), and mistreating, selling, rehoming or surrendering an animal to control someone. A final stage of the Justice Legislation Amendment (Family Violence, Stalking and Other Matters) Act 2026 starts no later than 10 November 2026. Under it, final orders against adults generally last 24 months by default unless the court sets another period, while orders already made without an end date keep running until revoked. An application can no longer be made against a child under 12, and a child protected by an order stays protected after turning 18. Police and magistrates must also consider whether the person named as respondent has been misidentified, looking at the whole relationship, any self-protection, and characteristics such as age, race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and being Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Separately, Parliament passed a standalone criminal offence of coercive control in September 2026. It is not yet in force and must start no later than 1 March 2028. Check the Magistrates' Court or Victoria Legal Aid website for the current position before relying on a date.

Checklist

Copy of any family violence safety notice or interim order
The application for an intervention order and the listing notice
Police incident or event number and station details
Your written account of incidents in date order
Screenshots of messages, emails and social media contact
Photographs of injuries or damaged property
Medical, hospital or counselling records
Existing parenting orders, parenting plan or family law documents
Details of firearms or weapons in the household
Names and contact details of witnesses
A safety plan and emergency contact list
Details of an interstate order and the date it was made

Common questions

How long does a family violence intervention order last in Victoria?

It depends on when the order is made. A final order lasts for the period the magistrate sets. An order made without an end date before the 2026 changes start continues until the court revokes it. For final orders made once the changes start (no later than 10 November 2026), the default for an adult respondent is usually 24 months unless the magistrate sets a different period, which can be shorter, longer or indefinite. Orders against children are limited to 12 months unless there are exceptional circumstances. If you still need protection, apply to extend the order at least four weeks (ideally eight weeks) before it ends.

Can I apply for an intervention order online in Victoria?

Yes. The Magistrates' Court of Victoria has an online application for family violence intervention orders that can be heard at any court location, so you do not need to go to a court building to apply. If it is not safe to apply online, call the court. You can also complete the paper form or apply at your local Magistrates' Court. If you are under 18, apply through the Children's Court. If police have applied for you after an incident, you do not need to lodge a separate application.

What is the difference between an FVIO and a personal safety intervention order?

A family violence intervention order protects you from a family member, including a partner or former partner, and is made under the Family Violence Protection Act 2008 (Vic). A personal safety intervention order protects you from someone who is not a family member — a neighbour, co-worker or stranger — and is made under the Personal Safety Intervention Orders Act 2010 (Vic). The processes are similar but the tests and available conditions differ.

Can the respondent be ordered out of the family home?

Yes. A family violence safety notice or an intervention order can include an exclusion condition requiring the respondent to leave the home and stay away from it. For an intervention order, the court must consider an exclusion condition whatever ownership or rental rights the parties have, and weighs things like the disruption to the protected person and children if they had to leave. The court can also allow the respondent to return with a police officer or another agreed person to collect their belongings.

What happens if I consent to an intervention order without admissions?

The order is made, but you do not admit the allegations and the court does not decide whether they are true. It ends the case without a contested hearing. The order is still fully enforceable, and breaching it is a criminal offence. Having an intervention order made against you does not give you a criminal record, but a final order can cancel a firearms licence, may affect jobs that need a security clearance, and may be relevant in family law matters, so get legal help before consenting.

Does an interstate order protect me in Victoria?

Yes. The Magistrates' Court of Victoria confirms that a domestic violence order made anywhere in Australia from 25 November 2017, including interim and police-issued orders, is automatically recognised and enforceable in Victoria without any registration step. If the order is active in Victoria, you can apply at any Magistrates' Court of Victoria to change, extend or cancel it. For an older order, take a copy to any Magistrates' Court in Victoria and ask for it to be declared so it is recognised.

Can I get a lawyer for free at court in Victoria?

Victoria Legal Aid has duty lawyers at some courts who can help you on your hearing day. If your case goes to a contested hearing and you have no lawyer, the court can order Victoria Legal Aid to provide one for cross-examination, free of charge even if you are not eligible for other legal aid. Applicant and respondent practitioners at Specialist Family Violence Courts give free non-legal support, and community legal centres, Women's Legal Service Victoria and Djirra provide free legal help. Grants of legal aid may be available for some hearings under Victoria Legal Aid's guidelines.

Sources

Family Violence Protection Act 2008 (Vic) (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
Family Violence Protection Act 2008 (Vic), authorised version 070 incorporating amendments as at 30 September 2026 (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
Justice Legislation Amendment (Family Violence, Stalking and Other Matters) Act 2026 (Vic), Act 1/2026 (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
Justice Legislation Amendment (Family Violence, Coercive Control, Good Character, Risk Assessment and Other Matters) Act 2026 (Vic), Act 41/2026 (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
Parliament of Victoria — New laws to criminalise coercive control (17 September 2026) (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
Crimes Act 1958 (Vic), version 324 in force from 1 November 2026 (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
Personal Safety Intervention Orders Act 2010 (Vic) (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
Magistrates' Court of Victoria — Family violence intervention orders (FVIO) (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
Magistrates' Court of Victoria — Applying for an intervention order (FVIO) (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
Magistrates' Court of Victoria — Understanding police applications (FVIO) (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
Magistrates' Court of Victoria — Changing an intervention order (FVIO) (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
Magistrates' Court of Victoria — Counselling orders (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
Magistrates' Court of Victoria — Intervention order breaches (FVIO) (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
Magistrates' Court of Victoria — Interstate intervention orders (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
Magistrates' Court of Victoria — Specialist Family Violence Courts (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
Magistrates' Court of Victoria — Court fees and costs ready reckoner (1 July 2026) (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
Children's Court of Victoria — Intervention orders (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
Victoria Legal Aid — Family violence and family violence intervention orders (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
Victoria Legal Aid — When a family violence intervention order starts and ends (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
Victoria Legal Aid — Going to court for a family violence intervention order (affected family members) (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
Victoria Legal Aid handbook — Guideline 8: family violence intervention order cases (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
Victoria Legal Aid — Breaching a family violence intervention order or safety notice (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
1800RESPECT (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
No to Violence — Men's Referral Service (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
The Orange Door (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
Djirra (accessed 8 Nov 2026)
Women's Legal Service Victoria (accessed 8 Nov 2026)

This is general legal information, not legal advice. It does not claim that a solicitor has reviewed this page for your situation, and it does not create a solicitor-client relationship.

Overview

Who this is for

01Get support and decide how to apply

02Family violence safety notice

03Interim intervention order

04Service on the respondent

05First mention

06Directions and contested hearing

07Final order, counselling order and review