My partner is threatening or abusing me. Is it OK to call the police?

You must call the police immediately on 999 if your partner is threatening to hurt you or is abusing you.

This is a criminal matter and the police should be involved for your safety.

You should also call the police immediately if your partner is threatening to hurt or is hurting your child.

There are also 24 hour charity helplines that you can call for advice such as Women’s Aid (0808 2000 247). However, if your partner is hurting, or is threatening to hurt, you or your child then you must call the police on 999 straight away.

After you have been to the police you may want to talk to a solicitor about your legal options and the possibility of obtaining an injunction. If the danger towards you is thought to be immediate in nature then an application can be made to court immediately (on the same day). In this case your abuser won’t need to be there.

We can also talk you through the process of getting an occupation order, something which will stop the abuser entering your family home and the area around it. This can be invaluable if you want to go back to your family home but do not want the abuser there. In certain circumstances an occupation order can also allow you to use a property in which you don’t have a legal interest.

We can also advise you on the process of applying for a non-molestation order which will enable you to prevent the abuser threatening you or your child. This will generally stop your abuser from contacting you or going to a particular location. It is common for this order to be used together with the occupation order.