You do not have to leave your own home because of someone else's behaviour. Irish law provides emergency legal protection that can require an abusive partner or family member to leave — sometimes within hours. You do not need to wait until something serious happens.
The Domestic Violence Act 2018 provides three main types of protective order.
A Safety Order does not require the respondent to leave the home but prohibits them from using or threatening violence, putting you in fear, or following or communicating with you. It lasts up to 5 years.
A Barring Order requires the respondent to leave the family home and stay away from it. It can last up to 3 years and can be obtained even if the respondent owns or part-owns the property.
An Interim Barring Order can be granted on an emergency basis at a District Court sitting — sometimes the same day you apply — without the respondent being present, if there is an immediate risk of significant harm.
Domestic abuse includes psychological abuse, coercive control, financial abuse, and threats. You do not need to have been physically assaulted to obtain a protective order. If someone's behaviour is causing you fear, controlling your actions, or making you feel unsafe in your own home, speak to a solicitor today.
This person asked not to be named. She had been in a relationship for six years. Her partner had never struck her — but the relationship was characterised by control, unpredictable rage, and a pattern of behaviour that left her walking on eggshells every day. She monitored what she said, what she wore, and who she spoke to.
She had not sought help because she felt what was happening to her was not serious enough — she had not been physically hurt. A friend encouraged her to speak to a solicitor.
The solicitor explained that coercive control is a criminal offence in Ireland since 2019, and that a safety order could be obtained based on the pattern of behaviour she described — physical violence was not required. The solicitor accompanied her to the District Court.
A safety order was granted the same day. Six weeks later, following a full hearing at which the pattern of behaviour was presented in detail, a barring order was made requiring her partner to leave the family home.
Free assessment. Completely confidential. Emergency orders can be obtained the same day.
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