Introduction
A family law protection order is an order made by a judge that lists conditions the other person must follow. This includes things like not contacting you or your children, not coming to your place of work, and not coming to your home.
You can apply for a protection order on its own or when you're applying for other family court orders.
See Family law protection orders for other general information about protection orders.
Who this guide is for
This step-by-step guide is for you if you're afraid for your safety because:
- a family member who lives with you has:
- abused you,
- assaulted you,
- threatened to hurt you, or
- damaged or threatened to damage your property or harm pets.
- You need to protect yourself, your children, and/or another family member who lives with you.
- You want a family law protection order to prevent the person from contacting you.
- You want to apply for protection quickly, without letting the person named in the order know what you're doing.
It's important to think carefully about your situation and make a safety plan. Although you might feel afraid and alone, there are trained people ready to help you wherever you live in BC. Take advantage of the emotional and practical support available for you. You can also get legal advice about what's best for you, as well as legal help with the steps needed to get a protection order.
About this guide
The steps in this guide explain how to apply for a protection order if you don't want the other person to know in advance that you're applying for a protection order. It walks you through making a safety plan, filling out the form, appearing in court, and what to do after you get the order. Usually, when you ask the court to make orders, you must let the other person know. But in certain situations, especially for safety reasons, you can ask the judge to make an order without the other person knowing (until after the order is made). This is called a "without notice order." And, if you need to get an order quickly, the court registry staff will schedule a hearing date "urgently.”
Getting an order without notice is the right thing to do if:
- you still live with your abusive partner and/or fear that you can’t leave the house for good without risking further violence towards you or the children, or
- you don’t want to leave your house and want the other person to leave, but can’t ask them to do so without putting yourself or your children at risk.
You can ask the court to have a judge hear your case that very day or the next day if waiting any longer may put you or your children in danger. Ask for an urgent hearing.
In this guide, we use the word "partner" to describe the person you want to be protected from. In other words, someone you:
- are or were married to,
- live or lived with in a marriage-like relationship, or
- have a child with.
But you can also get a protection order to protect you against a family member who lives with you (for example, your father-in-law, or your partner's adult son). However, we use the word partner to keep it simple. For more information about who the law says is a family member in this situation, see Family law protection orders.
When to call 911 instead
It can often be hard to tell when violence may become worse. However, there are some things that usually signal that the violence is getting more dangerous and perhaps one day could be fatal for you or your children.
Violence can get worse when you have:
- recently separated, or are talking about leaving
- recently started a legal process
- become pregnant or are about to give birth
The following is a short list of some of the things that warn that the violence could become more and more dangerous:
If a family member has ever:
- threatened to harm you,
- threatened to harm themself,
- stalked you,
- acted with extreme jealousy,
- choked or tried to strangle you, or
- shown violence or neglect toward household pets.
If any of this is a part of your story, immediately call 911. There are many ways out of an abusive relationship. The fastest and safest way is to call 911. If you’re too scared to call 911, call VictimLink BC or one of the support organizations listed below to get the support you need to call 911.
Help and support
For emotional help and practical support, call the services below. People at these organizations offer emotional and practical support and can help you make a safety plan. If you apply for a protection order, a lawyer or legal advocate can help you.
VictimLinkBC is a province-wide telephone help line provided by the government.
The phone number connects you to:
- crisis (victim service) workers
- emergency shelters
- support and counselling services
- advocates
- settlement workers
- multicultural services
1-800-563-0808 (call no charge)
Battered Women's Support Services
604-687-1867 (Greater Vancouver)
1-855-687-1868 (elsewhere in BC)
BC Society of Transition Houses
604-669-6943 (Greater Vancouver)
1-800-661-1040 (elsewhere in BC)
Ending Violence Association of BC (EVA BC)
604-633-2506
For local phone numbers for support and counselling, see the Victim Services in BC Directory.
If you're Indigenous
There is community support available from:
What is abuse?
You can be abused in different ways. Abuse includes physical, emotional, psychological, and sexual abuse. (Threats or stalking are examples of psychological abuse.) For more information about abuse and about protection orders, see: