Legal help

For legal help you should contact a solicitor specialising in family law. http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/choosingandusing/findasolicitor.law

There are 3 family drop in sessions on level 3 at The Civil Justice Centre each week. Wednesday 10am until1.30pm. There is a rota system and different solicitors attend.

BLAVO & CO SOLICITORS Ground Floor – G05, 3 Piccadilly Place, Manchester, M1 3BN Run a free legal drop in session at our offices on a weekly basis, Wednesday 2pm – 4.30pm Telephone 0161 242 1394 for further information

KHF Solicitors will be holding monthly sessions. They will take place on the first Monday afternoon of each month (between 2pm-4.30pm) and will rotate between our 3 offices in Moston, Salford and Middleton. The first will be on Monday 4th November at 351 Moston Lane, Moston, Manchester M40 9NB 0161 205 3909 The second will be on Monday 2nd December at 208 Chapel Street, Salford, M3 6BY 0161 832 6677 The third will be on Monday 6th January 2014 at Albion Buildings, 3 Wood Street, M24 4DH 0161 654 6300 and so on every month (Moston, Salford then Middleton).

Stephensons Solicitors LLP free drop in sessions
Partington Library and Wellbeing Centre , Central Road, M31 4FY
every Monday 1.30pm to 5pm and every Wednesday and Thursday 9am to 12.30pm
contact number for queries: 01942 774511
Bolton CAB, 26-28 Mawdsley Street, Bolton
every Monday 9.30am to 12 noon
contact number for queries: 01942 778031
Wigan CAB , 2nd Floor, Wigan Life Centre, The Wiend, Wigan WN1 1NH
the last Tuesday of every month from 2pm to 4.30pm
contact number for queries: 01942 778031

Watson Ramsbottom Solicitors (01254 672 222) run a free legal surgery at Trafford Domestic Abuse Services on Monday mornings tel 0845 241 1117 for further information

April 2013 – Rights of Women have prepared briefings for agencies and individual women
on the legal aid changes http://rightsofwomen.org.uk/

Your solicitor can use the law to advise you about the future welfare of your children and can advise you about divorce or separation.

If you have had to leave your home for your or your children’s safety they can help you get back home by regaining possession of your house tenancy.

They can also help you take out an injunction, which will protect you and your children from being beaten or harassed. The injunction can also order the person to leave the family home.

INJUNCTIONS

If you are being threatened or harassed by another person, it is sometimes possible to take out an injunction against that person as a way of protecting yourself and keeping them away from you. Although injunctions can be issued for a number of reasons one of the most common is because a person has been the victim of domestic abuse.

If you are under 16, domestic abuse is categorised as child abuse and you need to get help from a teacher, school counsellor or social worker.

If you are over 16 you can get help obtaining an injunction against a partner you’re living with, or are married to. Injunctions can also be taken out against any ‘associated’ persons. This could be a former or current partner, husband, wife or relative.

What is an injunction?

Domestic violence injunctions stop a person from doing something. You can get them through a solicitor, from a County Court or a Magistrates Court, or apply directly by yourself. If you are worried that you may not have enough money to cover the costs, you may be eligible for legal aid. You can find out more about this from the Greater Manchester Domestic Abuse Helpline, your local Citizens Advice Bureau or Family Law Solicitor.

An injunction is not the same as a Restraining Order. Restraining Orders come into place after a defendant has been convicted or has broken an injunction.

How do they work?

This depends on the type of injunction.

Types Of Injunction

Non-molestation Order

Prevents someone from using or threatening violence and also forbids them from intimidating, harassing or pestering you.

If you’re in doubt about what ‘assault’ means, talk to a domestic violence officer through your local police station. They are specially trained to deal with situations involving violent partners.
An Undertaking

Your partner has to promise the court not to threaten, assault or harass you. If they do they are in ‘Contempt of Court’ and could be sent to prison.

Occupation Order

Decides who can live in the home (in the short term) that you previously shared with your abusive partner. Can keep someone away from your home

Anti-harassment Injunction (under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997)

Stops your partner harassing or assaulting you.
Breaching this injunction is an arrestable offence carrying up to 5 years in prison.
The harassment has to have happened on two separate occasions – these can be months apart, and don’t have to be of the same nature.
Fear of an offence can also be a breach too – i.e. they don’t have to actually hurt you.
It can be obtained from a County Court or a High Court.

How to get help with an injunction

If you are worried about someone’s behaviour towards you and feel you may need to think about getting an injunction, you can get more advice from Citizens Advice Bureau, Rights of Women, Women’s Aid Group and Victim Support. You could also talk to a solicitor or the domestic abuse helplines on this page.

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