Step 1
Complete and file application form
To apply for a domestic violence order you should complete an Application for a Domestic Violence Order (PDF). The form includes information about each order and what you are eligible to apply for based on your relationship to the respondent. You can also learn more about each order below.
Important: Download and open the form using Adobe Acrobat Reader.
You can download the application form, print it, and file a completed copy in your local court office. Alternatively, a member of court staff can provide an application form when you attend the office. In this form you must set out the reasons why you need an interim domestic violence order to help the judge make a decision.
If you have any dependent children you want to be protected by the order, you need to include them in your application. If there are more than four dependent children, please complete and attach the Additional child details (PDF).
If you previously applied for a long-term order without applying for an interim order at the same time, ask the office for an Application for an Interim Domestic Violence Order.
Next: Step 2 — Attend court hearing for interim domestic violence order
Step 2
Attend court hearing for interim domestic violence order
After you have completed and filed your application in the court office, staff will arrange for you to make your application to a judge at a court hearing. This could be on the same day or within a day or two. In some District Court areas, the hearing may be in the same building. You may ask to be accompanied to the hearing by a support worker if you wish.
Most applications are heard ex parte. This means that your hearing can go ahead without the respondent being notified in advance and without them being present in the courtroom.
Your application will be heard in private. Only a small number of people are allowed in the courtroom with you: the judge, a court registrar, your support worker (if allowed), your legal representative (solicitor or barrister, or both), and a member of An Garda Síochána.
You can request permission to give evidence remotely by video link. The judge will decide whether it is appropriate to allow this.
The judge will read your application form and may ask you for more information to help them make a decision.
The judge will make a decision on your application. There are three possibilities:
- The order is granted. You receive the temporary order you applied for and may continue to apply for a long-term Safety Order or Barring Order (or both). You will receive a copy of the court order. It takes effect once the respondent is made aware of it. If the respondent was in court, they are considered notified. If not, the judge will decide who serves the documents (the Courts Service or the Gardaí). If it is safe to do so, you may notify the respondent yourself and give them a copy of the order. You will also receive a court summons for you and the respondent to appear at a future date for the full hearing.
- The interim order is refused, but you are allowed to apply for a long-term Safety Order or Barring Order (or both).
- All orders are refused. The court does not grant the temporary order or the long-term Safety or Barring Order.
Step 3
Respondent is served
The Courts Service or An Garda Síochána will serve the respondent. This means the respondent will receive a copy of the following documents:
- A copy of the interim domestic violence order
- A Domestic Violence Summons for a full court hearing of the Safety Order, Barring Order, or both
- A copy of your sworn information (only the Domestic Violence Information in section E is served, not your full application form)
- A note of evidence given by the applicant at the court hearing (if applicable)
The court office will also send a copy of the order to An Garda Síochána for their records.
If the respondent breaches the order, contact the Gardaí immediately.
More information on what happens if someone breaches a court order >
Step 4
Attend full hearing for Safety Order, Barring Order or both
You will have received a summons for a Safety Order, Barring Order, or both. This will contain the date, time and venue of the court hearing for your long-term domestic violence order application.
You must show up in court on the appointed date and time. The respondent is also expected to attend this full hearing.
Both of you can give evidence to the court. This means you will have to take an oath and give relevant information about the application. Cross-examination may take place, where you answer questions from the other person. The judge will decide how this happens. They may allow questions to be asked personally by the other person, or only by a solicitor or barrister.
After hearing the evidence, the judge will make a decision. They may decide to:
- Grant an order and set out its terms and conditions. This means they agree to give you the long-term order that you applied for. It also sets out details of how long it will last and other safety protections for you and any dependent child.
- Refuse the order. This means they do not agree to give you the long-term order that you applied for.
- Adjourn the application. This means postponing a decision on an application to a later date.
- Strike out the application. This means dismissing or cancelling an application. This can happen if the applicant or their solicitor fail to appear in court. It also means that any related protective orders, such as a Protection Order or Interim Barring Order, are also cancelled and no longer in place.
More information on preparing for Family Law court >
In some cases where children are involved, a judge might want information about their welfare, safety, health and care. If a child is of sufficient age and maturity, they might also want to take their views into account. To get this information, the judge might decide they need a report from an expert.
Step 5
After the court hearing
If a court order is granted:
- You and the respondent will each receive a copy of the order.
- The court office will send a copy to An Garda Síochána for their records.
The court order will explain the judge’s decision on your application.
Breaching a domestic violence order is a criminal offence. If this happens, contact the Gardaí immediately.
Find out what happens if someone breaches a court order >
If you are not satisfied with the court’s decision, you can appeal to the Circuit Court. This means asking the Circuit Court to hear your case again and make a new decision. Appeal documents must be served and filed within 14 days of the District Court decision.
Find out how to appeal a District Court order >
